Daily HealthBeat Tip

Clean your plate?

Dr. Rhee says parenting style is only one of many things that can affect whether a child is overweight. However, she thinks authoritarian parents' focus on setting standards may teach children to ignore their feelings of being full and keep eating anyway.

"There are a variety of reasons at all different levels playing a role in why children are overweight. And it's really hard to say what's having the greater effect. But I do believe that imposing a structure on how much a child should eat can have some damaging effects on the child's ability to self-regulate his or her eating habits in the future." (15 seconds)

Last revised: June 5, 2006

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