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The journal, Eating & Weight Disorders, recently published a study about the effects of parents talking to their children about their weight.
The conclusion: Parents should not comment on their children’s weight.
Although these remarks and their following conversations might come from a place of good intentions, it’s too likely that a parent’s words might cause a child to develop body image and eating disorders in the future. Parents’ words – regardless of whether they’re presented in a positive or negative manner – are extremely influential in shaping their children’s mindset about their body image.
The study pooled together 500 women, all in their 20s and 30s. These women were asked questions about their body image and invited to recall how often their parents commented on their weight. The results were fairly one-sided. Those whose parents constantly brought up the topic of weight were far more likely to think that they needed to lose weight, regardless of whether or not they were actually overweight.
Dr. Brian Wansink, professor and director of Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab and lead author of this study, takes time to make his point clear. “If [the 500 women] recalled [their parents commenting on their weight] happening at all, it had as bad an influence as if it happened all the time. A few comments were the same as commenting all the time.”
The frequency and nature of these comments, however, didn’t just have the potential to lead to body image problems and eating disorders in hopes of losing weight.
Other research has shown that negative comments on body image – such as calling a young girl “too fat” – could actually place her at higher risk of actually becoming obese in the future. In other studies, overweight teens are more likely to develop depression if their parents suggest they diet.
For parents who are concerned about their children’s health and seek a productive solution, however, there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
A professor at the University of Minnesota, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, believes that parents can completely avoid the need to have a conversation about weight and healthy eating habits by simply practicing these good habits themselves.
“Make your home a place where it’s easy to make healthy eating and physical activity choices,” she writes in her book, I’m, Like, So Fat. Leading by example – whether it’s no longer keeping soda in the house, promoting family meal times and outings – is perhaps the best way to promote healthy, active living for children without running the risk of negatively affecting their futures.
