Daycare may instill bad eating habits among children, says study
Posted on: 19/Oct/2016 8:51:56 AM
A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln has said that some daycare centers may find clean plate club policies hard to resist, even though working too hard to control what kids eat can backfire and make them more likely to gain weight. In a recent survey, some daycare workers mistakenly believed a clean plate club approach would encourage kids to develop a healthy appetite, researchers report in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, September 17.
Say the researchers, This study also found that childcare providers use controlling feeding practices because of fear of parents’ negative reaction if they find that their child did not eat. Childcare providers should avoid controlling feeding practices such as avoiding giving food as reward, encouraging but not pressuring children to eat their food and avoiding praising children for cleaning their plates.
The researchers conducted in-depth face-to-face interviews with 18 women at centers for children aged 2 to 5 years old. All of the participants had at least some education beyond high school, and eight of them had college degrees. They were 42 years old on average, and had typically been working as a daycare teacher for around 12 years. Some of these teachers said they used controlling feeding practices because they found them effective, particularly with picky eaters and stubborn children.
The researchers say, Given that early childhood is a pivotal developmental stage for the emergence of healthy habits, altering daycare culture around meals is critical. I think parents should consider communicating to daycare centers that they trust of their child`s hunger signals so whatever food amount the child is able to consume is adequate from their perspective.
