THE ROLE OF FAMILIES IN NURTURING HEALTHY EATING HABITS IN CHILDREN

With the increasing development of a 'global' world, many social, economic and cultural issues arise as the family structure evolves from a more traditional model. Busy parents struggle to balance work and family life, resulting in less time to prepare and share mealtimes together as a fam...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of nutrition and metabolism 2017-10, Vol.71 (Suppl. 2), p.1337
Main Author: Goulet, Olivier
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescents
Body weight
Children
Children & youth
Decision making
Eating
Eating behavior
Health behavior
Home environment
Medical personnel
Nutrition
Overweight
Parents
Pediatrics
Public health
Work life balance
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Summary:With the increasing development of a 'global' world, many social, economic and cultural issues arise as the family structure evolves from a more traditional model. Busy parents struggle to balance work and family life, resulting in less time to prepare and share mealtimes together as a family, and less time to enjoy quality moments together. Across the world, the incidence and prevalence of overweight and obesity are reaching alarming levels . A growing body of evidence indicates that the family environment plays an integral role in children's and adolescents' weight status and unhealthy weight-related behaviours. Childhood is a formative period for the development of children's healthy eating habits; consequently, it is a crucial time to build the most optimal foundations for positive and sustainable health behaviours. The home environment is a critical source of positive influence, with the family having a great impact upon the shaping of children's first choice foods, therefore a family-centred approach is of crucial importance. Danone Institute International (DII) gathered experts (dieticians, nutritionists, pediatricians, psychologists, sociologists, and public health professionals) to work together in collecting data, to develop a unique perspective on the topic. It clearly emerged that to positively impact children's healthy eating, it is essential to shift the emphasis from "what we eat" to "how we eat". Three key levers, supported by a strong body of evidence, all related to the family, have been identified, which all have a special emphasis on the pleasure of eating: Positive parenting, Eating together and a Healthy home food environment. With three distinguished experts in the field, this symposium aims to share a consensus on key recommendations, by identifying relevant and innovative strategies to support families in making positive decisions for nurturing healthy eating in children.
ISSN:0250-6807
1421-9697
DOI:10.1159/000480486