Homework Clinic
Social Science Clinic => Family Studies and Human Development => Topic started by: cdr_15 on Jun 24, 2020
-
Your friend Dorothy is upset because her adopted 13-year-old daughter is overweight. No one else in the family has a weight problem. What can you tell Dorothy about the influence of heredity and environment on one's weight? What advice can you give Dorothy about weight loss in children?
-
A good answer will be similar to the following:
Tell Dorothy that heredity plays an important role in juvenile obesity. Adopted children's weight is related to the weight of their biological parents and not to the weight of their adoptive parents. Genetic influence may contribute to obesity by determining a person's activity level. Also, if Dorothy's daughter is getting too little sleep this may give her additional opportunities to eat and less energy to exercise. Dorothy may also be providing an environment that encourages her daughter to eat even when she is not hungry. For example, many parents encourage their children to clean their plates at the dinner table even though the child may be full. Dorothy's daughter can lose weight, but she should remember that weight loss in obese children and adolescents is most successful when focused on changing children's eating habits and encouraging them to become more active. Children set goals for eating and exercise; parents help them set realistic goals, reward them for progress, and monitor their own eating and exercising.
-
Thank you.