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Review
. 2015 Mar;4(1):30-6.
doi: 10.1007/s13679-015-0139-x.

The Role of Food Parenting Skills and the Home Food Environment in Children's Weight Gain and Obesity

S M P L Gerards  1 , S P J Kremers  1
Affiliations
Review

The Role of Food Parenting Skills and the Home Food Environment in Children's Weight Gain and Obesity

S M P L Gerards et al. Curr Obes Rep. 2015 Mar.

Abstract

This paper presents an overview to provide readers with an update on the literature about the relation between parental influences (general parenting and food parenting practices) and children's weight-related outcomes. It first summarizes the evidence regarding the role of food parenting practices in shaping and maintaining children's nutritional and weight status. It then describes empirical evidence on the relation between general parenting and children's weight status. This evidence is less convincing, possibly because general parenting has a different, more distal role in influencing child behavior than parenting practices. General parenting may moderate the impact of food parenting practices on children's nutrition behaviors. Finally, we discuss studies on interventions targeting childhood overweight and obesity. There is no consensus on the optimal intervention targets (i.e., general parenting and/or food parenting practices). Based on the overview, we offer suggestions for future research.

Keywords: Children; Food parenting practices; General parenting styles; Intervention studies; Parents.

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Conflict of interest statement

S.M.P.L. Gerards and S.P.J. Kremers declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
A model of relation between general parenting, food parenting practices, and children’s outcomes
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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