Understanding children’s eating att

Understanding children’s eating attitudes and behaviour is
important in terms of children’s health. Evidence also indicates
that dietary habits acquired in childhood persist through
to adulthood(1). In addition, research also indicates a role for
childhood nutrition on adult health(2).
Parents provide food environments for their children’s early
experiences with food and eating. Several studies have shown
that a child’s eating behaviour is strongly influenced by the
family environment. The family eating environments include
parents’ own eating behaviours and child-feeding practices.
Results of research on behavioural mediators of familial patterns
indicate that parents’ own eating behaviours and their
parenting practices influence the development of children’s
eating behaviours.
Parents create environments for children that may foster the
development of healthy eating behaviours and weight, or that
may promote overweight and aspects of disordered eating.
Characteristics of these environments include socio-demographic
factors, parental activity, parental eating styles(3)
and parents’ child-feeding styles. Parents shape the development
of children’s eating behaviours, not only by the foods
they make accessible to children, but also by their own
eating styles(4), behaviour at mealtimes and child feeding
practices(7). Parent’s child-feeding practices are associated
with children’s eating behaviours, including specific eating
styles, food selection and preferences(5), and the regulation