Many people are concerned about how much they weigh.
However, a new study by researchers at Pennsylvania State University indicates that concern about weight is spreading to the parents of the youngest members of society and is having some harmful effects. Also, when the girls mothers restricted their daughters food intake, girls who weighed more were even more likely to lower their estimates of their own abilities. To carry out their study, the researchers administered questionnaires to the girls and their parents. Based on the data they collected, Davison and Birch conclude that public health programs that are designed to focus attention on childhood nutrition and weight issues should also provide information about providing a blame-free environment for addressing any weight issues with children. This study demonstrates that parents who are worried about their children s weight, even when this worry is justified, must take care to protect the vulnerable self-esteem of their preschoolers.