Parents who force their kids to finish everything served to them may be doing more harm than good, as new research said. In order to promote the development of normal eating behavior, it is important for children to decide how much they want to eat. The findings published in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology
"If children are pushed to eat everything on their plates, they may stop relying on their own body's signals, and eat until the parents are happy," the study said.
"We have looked to see if physical activity, television time and appetite traits can explain why some children's body mass index (BMI) increases more than others' do," said Silje Steinsbekk, assistant professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
"Our study shows that BMI increases more in children where food especially triggers their eating behavior. Their food intake is controlled more by the sight and smell of food, and less by an inner experience of hunger," Steinsbekk said.
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