5. Conclusion
Maternal use of controlling feeding behaviors was positively
associated with the number of encouragements to eat delivered by
the sibling to the index child. The mother's behavior during mealtimes
may therefore affect the child indirectly by shaping the
behavior of other family members. Future studies are needed to
further explore these associations. Since including multiple members
of the family in obesity intervention programs has shown
promising results (Kaplan, Arnold, Irby, Boles, & Skelton, 2013),
taking into account the caregiving role of siblings during mealtimes
may be beneficial.