The Journal of Pediatrics News Release reported findings from a recent study on the relationship between parental food influence and prediction of obesity in teenage girls later in life. The study’s results indicated highly restrictive parental control of childhood snacking was associated with a higher body mass index (BMI). Specifically, girls in the study who had a combination of low levels of self control and higher parental restrictive food control exhibited greater weight gain in later life.
According to Ms. Anzman, “Parental attempts to help children with lower self-control by restricting their access to favorite snack foods can make the forbidden foods more attractive, thereby exacerbating the problem.” She suggests that parents can help their children learn to control their eating habits by allowing them to choose between healthy options. She adds that it is often better to not keep restricted foods in the house. “That way,” she explains, “it is not necessary to constantly tell children they cannot have the foods they want.”
This news release provides further evidence that children are born with a capacity to regulate healthy behavior. Unfortunately, society’s obsession with outer appearance, negative parental influence, the use of toxins, and the manipulation of quality food, can turn off the body’s own regulatory activity and feedback mechanism and negatively effect our health.
One example of this is how wheat sensitivity negatively affects our brain chemistry leading chronic disease and weight gain. Read about wheat gluten antibody’s in my February newsletter.
