A Comprehensive Examination of the Nature, Frequency, and Context of Parental Weight Communication: Perspectives of Parents and Adolescents
Research suggests that many parents make comments about their child’s weight, which is associated with negative adolescent health outcomes. The present study carried out a comprehensive investigation of two diverse samples of U.S. parents (n = 1936) and adolescents (n = 2032), who completed questionnaires about their experiences and perspectives of parental weight communication. Although the majority of parents communicated positive messages of body diversity and respect, 44% and 63% of adolescents said they never want their mothers and fathers, respectively, to talk about their weight. Findings have implications for health professionals working with families to promote supportive health communication at home.
Full citation: Puhl, R. M., Lessard, L. M., Foster, G. D., & Cardel, M. I. (2022). A Comprehensive Examination of the Nature, Frequency, and Context of Parental Weight Communication: Perspectives of Parents and Adolescents. Nutrients, 14(8), 1562. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14081562