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Family Dynamics and Pediatric Weight Management: Putting the Family into Family-Based Treatment

  • Childhood Obesity (A Kelly and C Fox, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

The treatment of pediatric obesity entails working with entire families. However, aside from parenting and family health behaviors, family dynamics and relationships are not often incorporated in clinical treatment of obesity.

Recent Findings

Evidence across several studies suggest a relationship between family dynamics and child weight, with impaired family dynamics associated with higher weight status in children. Evidence is mixed if child age and family function are associated. Unfortunately, there is little evidence that addressing family dynamics (i.e., relationships and overall family system) will improve weight in children with obesity. Notably, few studies target family dynamics specifically. There are several validated measures of family dynamics available for researchers to explore the family system as it relates to child health and behaviors.

Summary

A deeper understanding of family dynamics and relationships may provide new avenues to address issues of weight in children; accounting for the family, and their underlying functioning, may benefit the clinician and child engaged in weight management.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, USA

    Joseph A. Skelton & Onengiya Harry

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, Division of Public Health Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, NC, USA

    Joseph A. Skelton & Onengiya Harry

  3. Department of Human Sciences, Human Development and Family Science Program, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Catherine Van Fossen & Keeley J. Pratt

  4. Department of Surgery, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA

    Keeley J. Pratt

  5. Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA

    Keeley J. Pratt

Authors
  1. Joseph A. Skelton
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  2. Catherine Van Fossen
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  3. Onengiya Harry
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  4. Keeley J. Pratt
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Correspondence to Joseph A. Skelton.

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Skelton, J.A., Van Fossen, C., Harry, O. et al. Family Dynamics and Pediatric Weight Management: Putting the Family into Family-Based Treatment. Curr Obes Rep 9, 424–441 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-020-00407-9

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