Johnson's group first tested the children's ability to regulate their own energy intake. Not surprisingly, overweight students had the most trouble knowing when to stop eating, and they were likely to have overweight parents. But those with parents who reported dieting frequently were also out of touch with their stomach's needs. That's probably because moms were more involved in feeding their kids than dads, he says. By the end of the study, undereaters and overeaters alike had corrected their food intake and no longer patterned themselves after their mother, Johnson says.
Parents also have to make sure that the tables they set are healthful.
Kids this age only have a certain number of skills. They're not going to be able to do appropriate food selection. Also, your job as an adult is to provide the structure, the predictable meals and snacks. Dr. Philip R. Costanzo, Duke University psychologist who specializes in eating behavior, says parents need to be aware that they may be sending mixed messages to their children about appropriate eating habits. If that's true, he says, nutritionists may need to adopt gender specific interventions to best target poor eating practices.