Ukmedix has been studying research undertaken by the University of Boston that shows that mothers and fathers who are very strict have a greater chance of ending up with overweight and obese children by the age of six. The research also shows that child obesity problems were less prevalent when parents set clear guidelines and expected the children to follow them rather than trying to enforce them themselves.

The study tried to look at different parenting scenarios and examined the links to obesity in the children. For example it was found that parents who are lax with rules and discipline often produced obese children but the worst offenders were those parents who were very strict with little regard for the feelings of the child. This happens possibly due to the children over eating as a nervous reaction to stress. Obesity in children was also observed when parents were neglectful and who took little interest in their children.

Nearly 900 children were looked at for the research project and the monitoring started in 1991 at the birth of the children. The study was funded by the American government and divided the different types of parents into 4 distinct categories based on authority and emotional sensitivity. The research has been published in the AAP journal called Pediatrics.

The results were surprising and show that sensitivity and emotional support is important to enable a child to maintain a healthy weight and not to over eat and become obese. They also show that being strict and trying to enforce rules does not work when it comes to the eating habits of children.

The researchers suggested that if a child feels that its eating habits are to be defined by external factors it will result in poor self discipline and the child will find it hard to limit its eating when out of the parents sight. It was also shown that strict parents that impose exercise regimes are likely to make the exercise repetitive and lacking in fun which will make the children loathe it.