Targeting parents leads to weight loss for kids

Common sense would dictate that parents are the first line of Defense when it comes to preventing obesity in children.

Now there is one study to back up what most people suspect-approaches that specifically target parents can result in significant weight loss in prepubertal children moderately obese.

Randomized controlled study of obese children, who were moderately 169 from 5 to 9 years of age.Parents have been targeted as agents of change and were randomly assigned to take a course in health lifestyle of six months, alone or in combination with a parenting training course.Body mass index (BMI) children and waist z scores were measured at the end of training parents and then at intervals of six months during a period of two years of follow-up.Researchers have also studied the impact of training on results, measured by questionnaires for assessment of factors such as parents ' feelings of satisfaction and effectiveness in their role as parents.Statistically significant reduction 10% on BMI and waist z scores for both groups of children during the first period of six months, which was kept for 24 months.Improvement was also seen in the outcomes of parenting.Both groups showed similar improvements, with little difference between the two groups. This is a very positive result from a process apparently peacefully. Especially so when you see the continued success of at least two year mark-rare in the world of weight loss trials in the long term.

Programs that teach parents about the basics of healthy eating, including shopping, cooking, preparation, all on a budget and time constraints, would be invaluable to the creation of children for success-both short and long term. We hope that this study provides some impetus to put programs like this in action, in particular for the most vulnerable to obesity.

Children's health starts at home. To be sure, it takes a village to raise a child proverbial healthy, but starting at home with parents has the right idea. Always the children healthy weights, setting them to eat healthier, later in life and to improve the eating habits of parents makes for a win, win, win situation.