MyVoice researchers recently published a paper titled, “Be more positive and more kind to your own bodies’: Adolescent and young adult preferences for how parents can support their children with weight-related pressures,“ in the journal, Body Image. The researchers used data gathered by the MyVoice National Poll of Youth in order to examine qualitative data about young people’s experiences with parental weight-related communication and how they think parents can best support their children regarding messages they see/hear surrounding weight, body shape and size by their peers and media sources.
Eight hundred and one participants responded to at least one survey question. Results from the study suggest that young people want their parents to model healthy relationships with food and their body; teach body neutrality/acceptance; and normalize all body types. Findings suggest that there are many proactive, practical approaches parents can adopt to help support their children and offset weight-related pressures from other sources.
Authors include corresponding author and MyVoice member Kendrin R. Sonneville of the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan; Reuby Staviss of Boston Children’s Hospital; E. Whitney Evans of the Miriam Hospital/Brown University Warren Alpert Medical Center; Rowan L. Klar, of the School of Public Health at U-M, Ritika Kale of Michigan State University; Marney Staviss of the University of Miami; Aurianna M. Lajaunie of the University of Michigan Medical School; and Jasneet Aulakh of the University of Michigan Medical School.
Read the full paper here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144524000470?dgcid=author
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