Obese Kids, Blame Mom?

Moms already have a ton of responsibilities, and now results from a recent WomenTALK online survey found that most women underestimate their role in preventing obesity in their children.

Moms already have a ton of responsibilities, and now results from a recent WomenTALK online survey found that most women underestimate their role in preventing obesity in their children. The survey found that while 87 percent of women believe a parent’s weight affects a child’s risk of becoming obese, a little over a quarter of women actually assign that responsibility to themselves. Research has demonstrated that moms have a greater effect than dads on a child's weight - yet another responsibility to give mom.
 
The results released earlier this month by Healthy Women, an independent online health information source for women, surveyed over 1,000 women. The results found that only 11 percent knew that a child's risk of becoming obese more than doubled if the mother is obese during her first trimester of pregnancy.

Parents have a huge impact on their children all around. Kids mimic their parents, and knowing this, one of the most valuable things a parent could pass along to their child is healthy eating habits. Exposing kids to nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables early on positions our future generations on a lifelong course of good health.

Supermarkets' role in empowering parents, especially women, to make better choices for themselves and their families is critical. There is a unique opportunity here for grocers to steer mothers towards making better choices as well as helping them to understand how powerful their role is in the health and future well being of their children. Moms should be continually encouraged to take charge of their own nutrition and physical activity habits as they have the opportunity to mold their family into good health.  

A study by Dole Food Company and Working Mother magazine found that 56 percent of moms characterize getting kids to eat fruit and vegetables as “not easy” or “impossible.” How do moms encourage better eating habits? According to the Dole study, persistence, convenience, and creativity are key in helping parents increase kids’ fruit and vegetable intake. Over half of moms reported that repeated attempts are the best way to get their kids to eat produce, while the other half said that their kids love fruits and veggies so it's easy to serve them produce.