Adolescent obesity is a continuing problem in the U.S., with a 22.2% prevalence among 12–15-year-olds. Obesity in youth, characterized by having a BMI greater than the 95th percentile for age, is associated with the development of chronic diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease, and cardiovascular disease during adulthood. Unhealthy eating behaviors are a major contributing factor to excessive weight gain and obesity during adolescence, including the increased consumption of convenience foods such as foods high in sugar and fat, as well as frequent intake of sugar beverages. Meanwhile, children in this age group tend to under consume whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Additionally, during adolescence, children in this age range begin to transition from eating under parental control to independently eating and governing their own food choices. Occasions in which adolescents make decisions regarding food or drinks away from their parents are known as “independent eating occasions”. Existing research has associated parental modeling with increased healthy eating among adolescents, which can influence adolescents’ food choices during these “independent eating occasions”.
In a recent paper published in the Journal of The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, parents/caregivers and adolescents (11-14 years old) were surveyed to assess adolescent diet quality and parental feeding practices regarding structural and autonomy support. Parenting practices such as structural support includes food monitoring, availability, modeling, while autonomy support is recognized as providing praise, teaching, and/or encouragement.
Adolescents’ diet quality during these “independent eating occasions” consisted of junk foods and sugary foods along with some reports of fruit and vegetable intake. It was found that parenting practices which provide adolescents with structural and autonomy support were linked to healthier food choices during “independent eating occasions”. The results of the study found positive correlations between the parenting practices of autonomy support, monitoring, indulgence, and expectations, as reported by both adolescents and parents. Parents should remember that when applying structural and autonomy support to influence their children’s eating habits, it is important to prioritize healthy food options like fruits and vegetables. Failure to do so may lead adolescents to more regularly choose unhealthy foods.
Take home message: Positive parental practices promote healthy intake while adolescents partake in “independent eating occasions”. To emphasize the importance of positive parenting techniques, try to engage in tactics such as modeling, availability, and providing autonomous support. Some examples of these tactics include eating fruits and vegetables around your adolescent, having fruits and vegetables readily available, limiting the availability of foods high in sugar and fat in the home, and teaching your teen about the importance of proper nutrition.
Reference: Reicks M, Lora KR, Jin Y, et al. Parenting Practices Are Associated With Adolescent Food Choices During Independent Eating Occasions [published online ahead of print, 2023 May 23]. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2023;S2212-2672(23)00276-9. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2023.05.016
