Home rules help obesity-risk kids

Good habits at home, such as eating breakfast and having screen time limits, help kids maintain a healthy weight, even when they belong to groups considered at high risk of obesity, such as poor Pacific communities.

New University of Otago research found parents of healthy weight kids tend to have stricter rules around eating regular breakfasts, fizzy drink consumption, eating home-cooked meals and screen time.

Households where children were a healthy weight were also more likely to have one parent at home full time or part time, able to prepare and monitor meals, as well as support sporting activities.

Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, September 2017