Parents always want to do the right thing for their kids. In this culture of obesity, that generally means helping them make the right food choices and teaching them about healthy diet and exercise – right? Well, that all depends on your definition of “diet.” According to a study by researchers at the University of Minnesota, parents who encouraged their overweight adolescents to diet (the most common strategy used when dealing with an overweight teen) reported five years later that their children were still overweight, further supporting that the dieting strategy is prone to backfiring.

With parents’ increased concern about their children’s weight, researchers of this study decided to focus on weight-related parenting behaviors, focusing on parents who accurately saw their children’s weight, as well as those who did not. The results of the study indicated that even if parents accurately understood that their child was obese, they were not more likely to engage in behaviors which might help their child to develop healthier habits in relation to food and exercise.

While some experts believe that school evaluations assessing a child’s weight are key components in fighting the rising rates of obesity, the Minnesota research study shows otherwise. The tried-and-true are still the best methods to help kids build healthy habits:

• Provide and eat healthy foods in the house
• Have regular family meals
• Be physically active with your kids

For more information on this study, check out the Pediatrics Journal.