Mom's Attitude Affects Teen's Dieting

A new research on dieting shows that children may value their mothers’ thoughts about weight and that their visions are often influences by their mothers’ views.
Those teenagers who believe that their weight was important to their mothers were more likely than other teens to be preoccupied by their weight and to diet repeatedly.
The research involved more than 9ooo US teenagers and their mothers. They needed to fill out questionnaires about their weight concerns and what they thought about their mothers' attitudes toward weight. Mothers were asked about their attitudes toward their own weight and their children's. A similar trend was seen between boys and girls. Both of the groups said they "thought frequently about wanting to be thinner." Girls who thought their mothers wanted them to be thin were two to three times more likely to worry about getting thinner.

This finding reveals the importance of parents' words and actions about their and their children's body image. Parents should aim toward healthy diets but not emphasize the value of thinness. They should set up a good example by choosing healthy foods in their own diets and taking up regular exercises or going in for sports for the sake of their overall health.

Researchers advise parents not to make remarks and comments about their own and other people's weight.