Running Head: The Relationship of Eating Habits of Parents in their Childhood Compared to

their Childrens Eating Habits, Final Paper

The Relationship of Eating Habits of Parents in their Childhood Compared to their Childrens
Eating Habits, Final Paper
Alexis Hammer
Marywood University
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Intro/Significance of Study

Today, many people suffer from an epidemic that is slowly taking over all age classes.

The obesity epidemic affects more than 36% of US adults who are currently obese, and 32% of

adults who are overweight (CDC 2016). This high number of adults affected by obesity is

beginning to mark on younger generations as well. 12.7 million children are either obese or

overweight CDC 2016). There are several contributing factors to children becoming obese and

overweight. Some contributing factors include parental perceptions of weight statuses, parental

behavior practices, and parental dietary habits early in life. One study collected data and found

that 35% of the children of overweight parents were overweight (Variyam 2001). Parental

influence is a major aspect which determines a childs lifestyle into adulthood. If parents raise a

child in an unhealthy environment, chances are the child will continue an unhealthy lifestyle into

adulthood. A study was completed by Chu, Faught, Ploeg and Storey focusing on the health

behavior of a parent and the influence of that behavior on the children. This study recorded that

most parents reported caring about healthy eating and encouraging their children to eat healthy

foods and exercise regularly. Findings from this study showed that availability of foods in the

home is among the most important determinants of a childs diet (Chu, Faught, Ploeg, 2015). It

has also been stated that improvements in parental diet resulted in improved parental behavior

modeling, which reviews have found to be an essential predictor of vegetable and fruit intake in

children and adolescents (Chu, Faught, Ploeg 2015). This improvement of parental behavior

modeling relates to the parental exposure of healthy eating habits to their children.

It is important to investigate these factors which a parent follows that may affect their childs

lifestyle. The decisions an adult makes regarding diet and exercise can affect whether their child
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has a healthy lifestyle in his/her adulthood. What will it take to lower this number of obese

children, so we do not increase the number of obese adults in the future as this generation grows?

Research Question

What is the relationship between a parents eating habit as a child and their childs

current eating habits in middle class families in North East Pennsylvania?

Sub-Problems

Sub-problem #1: What was the parents style of eating as a child?

Sub-problem #2: What is the childs current eating habits?

Sub-problem #3: What is the relationship between the parents eating habits as a child

and the childs current eating habits?

Hypotheses

Null- There is no relationship between a parents eating habits as a child and their childs

current eating habits.

Alternative- There is a difference between a parents eating habits as a child and their

childs current eating habits.

Directional- If the parents had healthy eating habits as a child, there is a greater chance

that their children will have healthier eating habits.

Definitions

1. North East Pennsylvania: Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA) is a geographic region

of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania that includes the Pocono Mountains, the Endless
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Mountains, and the industrial cities of Scranton, Wilkes-

Barre, Pittston, Hazleton, Nanticoke, and Carbondale.

a. North East Pennsylvania is the area where participants must live to take part

in this study.

2. Eating Habits: the way a person or group eats, considered in terms of what types of

food are eaten, in what quantities.

a. In this study, eating habits will be the topic primarily focused on in hope to

finding a correlation between parents eating habits (as children) and their

childs current eating habits. Eating habits in this study are defined by how a

person chooses to consume his/her diet, the foods one eats daily helps form

eating habits.

3. Middle Class Families: The middle class or middle classes are the people in a society

who are not working class or upper class. Business people, managers, doctors,

lawyers, and teachers are usually regarded as middle class.

a. Participants of this study must be middle class families. Middle class in this

study is compiled of individuals who receive an income that is not part of the

low class or the high-class range.

4. Parents (Eating Habits as a Child): one that begets or brings forth offspring; a

person who brings up and cares for another.

a. Parents are one of two main groups investigated in this study. In this study,

Parents (Eating Habits as a Child) are defined by the foods the parent

consumed, foods they liked/disliked, and foods they were given by guardians

which all help form the eating habits of the child.

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5. Childs (Eating Habits): young person especially between infancy and youth; a son or

daughter of human parents.

a. Children are the other group of individuals that will be investigated in this

study. A childs (eating habits) in this study are defined by the foods they eat,

like and dislike and they foods they are given by their guardians which all

help form the eating habits of the child.

6. Healthy: free from disease or pain; enjoying health and vigor of body, mind, or spirit;

showing physical, mental, or emotional well-being; beneficial to one's physical,

mental, or emotional state; conducive to health.

a. In this study, the word healthy will be defined by the diet habits the children

currently follow and how those habits will affect the child into adulthood.

Delimitations

The study is limited to families of the middle class in NEPA, with children between

the ages of 4 and 7.

The study is limited to 10 weeks.

The assessment of eating habits will be observed during meal times in the normal

eating environment of the child.

Limitations

Self-reported data regarding food intake of parents as a child may be underreported

due to lack of remembrance of childhood.

Information regarding the eating habits of the children may also be difficult to obtain

depending on the childs behavioral status, education level and appetite.

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Assumptions

Participants respond honestly.

o Participants do not answer with the habits in which they wish they followed, the

respond with the habits in which they truly followed.

o Often times than not participants will respond with answers to make them look

and feel better, especially if the study is asking questions regarding their health

status or lifestyles that may affect their health status.

Participants understand the concept of the survey/study.

o The concept of the study is made clear to the participants, if they do not

understand the concept, they ask again for re-clarification.

o Participants may not understand the concept of the study, but be too afraid to ask

for clarification of what the study is asking.

Participants do not get help answering the questions.

o Participants answer the questions individually, unless necessary help is needed.

o Parents may influence the child to answer questions a certain way to make their

household look better. If a child does not understand the question being asked in

this study, the researcher will assist the child in further explaining the question.

o Questions must be altered to reading levels that middle-class families understand.

o Questions must be altered to reading levels that children ages to 4-7 understand.

Significance of Study
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The obesity epidemic affects more than 36% of US adults who are currently obese, and

32% of adults who are overweight (CDC 2016). Several studies focus on the eating habits of

adults and their health status and their influences on their childrens eating habits and health

status, but few focus on the eating habits of adults as children and their influence on their

childrens current eating habits. One possibility behind this trend of overweight parents and

overweight children, could possibly be the eating habits of the parent, influencing the childs

diet. If a child is raised in an environment where there are unhealthy eating habits such as a high

consumption of junk food, could they be more likely to continue unhealthy eating habits into

their adulthood and possibly raise their future offspring with unhealthy eating habits as well?

Many studies look at the influence of adult obesity and its influence on a childhood obesity. The

investigation of eating habits of parents as a child and their childs current eating habits is

important because it can potentially help pinpoint a correlation of eating habits and their

influence on health status. This study will be beneficial in aiding in campaigns against obesity

and the factors that can influence the obesity epidemic. It will consider lifestyle habits and see if

there is any trend passed from generation, and what it would take to break that possible trend,

changing eating habits of families for the better of their health.

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Works Cited

CDC. (2015, September 14). Data & Statistics. Retrieved February 26, 2017, from
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/

Dictionary: Search the Merriam-Webster Dictionary First. Retrieved March 14, 2017, from
https://www.merriam-webster.com/

Eating Habits Definition and Meaning | Collins English Dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved March 13,
2017, from https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/eating-habits

Northeastern Pennsylvania. (2017, March 18). Retrieved March 18, 2017, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northeastern_Pennsylvania

Variyam, J. N. (2001). Overweight Children: Is Parental Nutrition Knowledge a Factor. Food

review, 24(2), 18.