Obese Parents indicate -Obese kids

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It may seem obvious to some, but new research has concluded that kids whose parents do little to discourage bad eating habits and sedentary activities, such as television and video games, are significantly more likely to grow into overweight or obese young adults.

Study also found that children were also more likely to be overweight if they had strong social bonds with their overweight or obese parent or parents.

And kids don’t appear to need to do much to stave off obesity in adulthood, for even those who replaced TV and video games with non-athletic activities such as jobs, marching bands and school clubs were less likely to carry excess weight into adulthood.

"When children are doing anything but sitting on the couch watching TV...they’re much less likely to become obese," researcher Ashley Fenzl Crossman, a graduate teaching assistant in the sociology department at Arizona State University, Tempe, said in a prepared statement.

“Other reasons might include overeating due to separation anxiety when the child leaves the home, or parents not wanting to criticize their children’s eating habits when they are young,” Crossman added.

Her study of about 6,400 children across the United States found that children who grow up in families with poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles are 33.3 percent more likely to become overweight or obese as young adults.

Children with high self-esteem were less likely to become obese, as were those whose parents had a relatively high level of education. Household income had no effect on children’s later risk of weight gain.

For parents, the overall message of the study is very simple, Crossman noted: “Get (children) off the couch.”

“Our research suggests that prevention must begin at home. We need a public health campaign that educates all adults and children in the home on the importance of creating a family environment that promotes healthy habits,” Crossman said.

The study was presented Aug. 14 at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Philadelphia.

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