June 3, 2015
Support from mom can tip the scales on who will become obese a dozen years later, a new study shows.
African-American daughters in their 20s who receive emotional and moral support from their mothers are less likely to become obese, researchers at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and Medical School have found.
"The effect of parents on offspring obesity is not limited to the parenting style, or behaviors that directly influence food choice, exercise and sedentary lifestyle, but rather is focused on the degree to which parents provide support, warmth and love," said IHPI member Shervin Assari, research investigator of psychiatry and a faculty mentor at the Center for Research on Ethnicity, Culture, and Health.
"It's a very good news for public health professionals that parental support at age 20 has a lasting effect at least 12 years later."