Fathers Are To Blame For Their Daughters' Eating Habits

Author: Dean Rouseberg Time for reading: ~2 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

In this article, learn more about Fathers Are To Blame For Their Daughters' Eating Habits. How should weight issues be discussed with adolescent girls?.

Talking to parents about girls' diet and weight affects the formation of eating and other habits, according to a study by the University of Minnesota, USA.

From the beginning of puberty, girls become very sensitive to " weight ". The ability of the parents to direct their thinking in a positive direction plays a key role in the future woman's behavior regarding her own health in this aspect.

Here, too, the strongest trace remains the pattern of behavior of the parents and then what they said.

During puberty, girls experience strong tension due to the imposed stereotype of vision and behavior on the part of public perceptions of aesthetics and the environment in which they move. During this period, girls violate their diet in order to lose weight. The role of the parent during these years is to expose a public myth - that, in fact, a beautiful appearance depends on proper nutrition and physical activity and is nothing but a reflection of good general health.

Researchers from the University of Minnesota surveyed more than 2,300 adolescents and 3,500 parents about the ways in which they discuss the problem of overweight and draw an interesting pattern. Parents of children who discuss topics such as healthy eating and sports with them are much less likely to develop eating and behavioral disorders. Conversely, parents who discuss their children's appearance and body weight create a more difficult environment that predisposes not only to unhealthy eating, but also to addictions such as smoking and alcoholism.

If parents focus primarily on their children's daily lives and athletic talents, they are more likely to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Focusing on weight and imposing social norms can have serious consequences.

Fathers' conversations with daughters are, surprisingly, more powerful than those with mothers. If the father talks mainly about obesity and appearance, the negative effects are much more likely than if he encourages his child to sports and physical activity.

It is extremely important that when such conversations take place, they be strictly instructive, without the use of scathing expressions or epithets and comparisons that would affect children.

The surest way for girls to enjoy the desired attractive figure is by creating a role model for them in the family. Personal example models both the choice of proper and healthy foods and the preference for sports activities, especially when childhood is given time for such active activities together.

If, despite a positive lifestyle pattern, the girl has weight problems or harmful practices such as dieting and starvation, it is necessary to seek the help of a competent specialist to find the cause of the problem. Sudden changes in mood and weight have other possible explanations in this case such as hormonal imbalance, depression, diabetes ...

Fathers Are To Blame For Their Daughters' Eating Habits

Related Articles