HealthDay (3/11, Thompson) reports a study found that “children were more likely to eat healthy and not gain weight if their parents participated in training to help manage stress.” The investigators “recruited 114 parents with overweight or obese children ages 2 to 5 and assigned them to one of two groups. One group underwent a mindfulness training program focused on managing stress and avoiding unhealthy behaviors along with education on healthy nutrition and physical activity. The second group only got the education on eating right and exercising.” Study results showed that “only the mindfulness group experienced lower parental stress, improved positive parenting and less unhealthy eating among their children by three months after the classes ended. On the other hand, children in the control group had a six-fold higher risk of overweight or obesity within three months of the classes.” The study was published in Pediatrics.
Related Links:
— “Lowering Parents’ Stress Can Reduce Risk Of Childhood Obesity,”Dennis Thompson, HealthDay , March 11, 2026