CHICO, Calif., Aug 18, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Parents can make a difference
in staving off obesity in their children if they help them eat better and
exercise, a U.S. researcher says.
Edward Abramson, a professor emeritus at California State University-Chico and
author of the books "Body Intelligence" and "Emotional Eating," says there has
been a tenfold increase in type-2 diabetes and psychological and social
consequences, such as prejudice, rejection, discrimination and low self-esteem
in children.
Bad eating habits can start with "emotional eating," or eating when one is not
hungry, or from following a strict diet, Abramson says.
"This can lead to a weight problem or an eating disorder," Abramson says in a
statement.
Parents can increase the odds of getting a child to try a new food by having the
child see them enjoying the food and having the child help prepare the
unfamiliar food, Abramson advises.
"If the child is in the kitchen cooking with mom or dad, it's unlikely that
he/she will refuse the food that they've helped prepare," Abramson says.
Research has shown that 4- to 7-year-old children of active parents were six
times as likely as others to be active, Abramson told the American Psychological
Association meeting in Toronto.
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