Friday, March 3, 2023

Healthy Habits: Parent Views on New Childhood Obesity Guidelines

 Parents face a myriad of challenges when it comes to keeping their kids healthy in 2023. One of their biggest hurdles? Helping their children cultivate a healthy body image, especially as social media bombards them with images of unrealistic and often heavily-edited versions of “the perfect body”. 

With Eating Disorder Awareness Week upon us, a new nationwide survey of over 1,000 parents is shedding light on their difficulties talking about weight and healthy habits with their children. The study found some parents may be going about it the wrong way.

  • 1 in 5 struggle to talk about weight with their children
  • 1 in 10 regret the way they’ve spoken to their kids about their weight
  • 28% of parents think they set bad health examples for their kids
  • 1 in 3 admit to calling deserts “bad” in front of their kids

This year, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its guidance on childhood obesity. It now recommends parents use weight loss drugs for children 12 and up and weight loss surgery for kids 13 and older. There is some skepticism among parents, with roughly 2 in 5 considering weight loss medication for their children, and 16% considering weight loss surgery.

For more insights on parents' struggles with keeping kids healthy in 2023, take a look at the full report.

No comments:

Post a Comment