Ajit Patel Goldshield – Fostering Spirituality In Your Home

Fostering Spirituality In Your Home – Ajit Patel Goldshield

Medical studies have shown that spiritual people, irrespective of the faith they practice, exhibit lesser self-destructive behaviours, experience less stress, and have a greater total life satisfaction. Among the keys to a successful family life are the spiritual values of a family.

Even though most of the research linking spiritual and physical health has involved elderly patients, a connection between a spiritual life and good health for people of all ages is very real. A family that has a spiritual life of its own has unity and direction and offers love, support, and a sense of identity to its members. It is this love and spirituality that proves to be healing and a positive influence on the wellbeing of everyone in the family irrespective of their age.

Spirituality has been shown to reduce depression, improve blood pressure, and boost the immune system. When combined with proper medical care it may be the answer to your family’s emotional and physical health issues. So what exactly is spirituality and how can it enhance your family’s health? Spirituality is an awareness of the divine that underlies everyday life. Studies show that spirituality and faith in the divine powers can help promote good health and fight disease by offering additional social support, such as religious outreach groups and improving coping skills through prayer and a belief that all things have a purpose. Medical studies have confirmed that spirituality can have a profound effect on mental states. In a study of men who were hospitalised, nearly half rated their faith as helpful in coping with their illness. A second study showed that the more spiritual patients were, the more quickly they recovered from some disorders. A third study revealed that high levels of hope and optimism, key factors in fighting depression, were found among those who practiced their faith sincerely. The advantages of having a spiritual life at home are:

  • Spiritual beliefs determine how people deal with life’s joys and hardships. It can make you more optimistic and resilient.
  • Spirituality can provide people with a sense of purpose and guidelines for living. When families face tough situations, including health problems, their spiritual beliefs and practices can help them fight feelings of helplessness, restore an order to life situations, and promote regaining a sense of control.
  • For some families, spirituality can be a powerful source of strength.
  • Spirituality brings family members together by encouraging forgiveness and reconciliation of relationships.
  • Strong families share a belief in something greater than themselves. They agree about what is right and wrong and what is really important to them. These shared values give families purpose and help them unite on goals.
  • Your spiritual beliefs enhance your parenting. Some parents emphasise faith in God, others focus on faith in humanity, moral behaviour, and unity with all living things. Some may introduce their children to practices like prayer, meditation, and scripture study. Still others refer to conquering faults and developing virtues like honesty, integrity, and kindness towards others. To foster spirituality within your own family, you may want to examine your own values. The parents who inculcate the right values in their children automatically are more successful in their role as way-showers and guides to their children.

Activities that foster spirituality at home include the following:

Daily practice. Some families make prayer an important daily practice. You could gather for prayer before the rush of the day begins. Encourage each member of the family to set aside time for personal prayer and, for grown up children, even meditation would be a good idea.

Be inspired. Enrich your spirituality by letting nature inspire you. Taking evening walks in the park, around a lake, or any other natural setting can be inspiring. Plan an occasional hike in the mountains and take time to admire the beauty of nature together with your family members.

Build spiritual strength. This could include caring for the needy or acts of charity, reading sacred texts or other such literature together, visiting a place of worship at least once a month etc.

Try and inculcate spiritual values in everyday life. Merely knowing that curbing anger or greed is good for you is not enough. Making conscious attempts to make it a part of your day-to-day life at home and outside will have a calming influence. Help family members remember these values the next time they struggle with negative emotions. Family life will, automatically, be more harmonious.

 

Ajit Patel Wellbeing – How Kitchenware Can Affect Your Health

How Kitchenware Can Affect Your Health – Ajit Patel Wellbeing

When choosing and using cookware and utensils, you may take quality, durability and design into account. You may even consider their eco-friendliness but do you give much thought to how they might affect your wellbeing?

Lead glazing on some ceramic cookware may, in certain circumstances, can leach into food. Children are particularly susceptible to lead poisoning. Acidic foods such as tomatoes, citrus fruit and foods containing vinegar can cause more lead to be leached from the ceramic. Be wary of ceramic dishes or cookware bought from overseas, or antique ceramics – they may not meet the current food safety rules.

Copper pots and pans are popular due to the even distribution of heat they provide. Unlined copper cookware may introduce copper into food, which can result in nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Fortunately, most copper kitchenware sold today is lined inside (for example with stainless steel). However, over time, the coating can break down, especially if the lining is scratched or abraded.

Teflon (a brand name for polytetrafluoroethlyene or PTFE) is a common, non-stick coating used in modern cookware. In normal circumstances, Teflon is convenient, safe and non-toxic, however it is designed for cooking at low to medium heats. If heated excessively, the non-stick coating starts to deteriorate and may release irritant fumes. Always consult manufacturers’ guidelines on maximum safe temperatures for non-stick cookware, and try not to leave pans unattended on the hob.

Damaged or scratched cookware is more likely to cause problems when the inside surface is affected, so it’s often best to avoid using metal or hard plastic utensils (spatulas, spoons, ladles) when cooking or dishing up. Instead, opt for utensils made from wood, silicone or bamboo. If the coating of a pot or pan is damaged, starting to peel or wear away, then it’s time to replace it.

Wooden chopping boards have an undeniable appeal, but are more difficult to clean effectively – consider a plastic, marble or glass board instead. It’s also a good idea to have separate chopping boards for different uses: One exclusively for raw meat, poultry and seafood, and another for vegetables, bread and other foodstuffs.

If you’ve used the same kitchenware or utensils for years, it may be time to replace them!

Ajit Patel Sanda Wellbeing – Dance Your Way To Better Health

Dance Your Way To Better Health – Ajit Patel Sanda Wellbeing

Dance has always been a part of human life – finding its way into culture, ritual and celebrations. As much as it is about recreation and creative self-expression, it is also an enjoyable way of being more physically active and staying fit.

Dancing can give you a great mind-body workout. Researchers have found that regular physical activity in general can help keep your body, including your brain, healthy as you age. Exercise increases the level of brain chemicals that encourage nerve cells to grow. And dancing that requires you to remember dance steps and sequences boosts brainpower by improving memory skills. A study of 11 physical activities that appeared in the ‘New England Journal of Medicine’ found that dancing was the only one that lowered dementia risk by a whopping 76 per cent.

Dancing can help people of all ages, shapes, and sizes stay fit. It could be a group activity or then you could dance solo. Weather has no bearing upon it and you could dance your way to fitness even when it is pouring outside. It doesn’t need expensive accessories, or spending too much money on the gear – you could dance in your track pants! Most dance forms allow you to wear anything that you are comfortable in while practicing them.

Choosing a dance style: To get started, simply choose a style you enjoy, or would like to try. If you don’t know what kind of dance you might like, the best thing to do is experiment. If you used to dance and are getting back into it, you can pick up where you left off. Some dance forms are more rigorous than others and you might want to check what suits your personality and body the best. When choosing a dance style, ask yourself questions like:

  • Do I want to dance to improve my fitness?
  • Do I prefer fast dancing or slow dancing?
  • Do I want to dance with a partner, or on my own?
  • Do I want to join a group, or have private lessons?
  • Will I enjoy competitions, or do I want to dance just for fun?

Popular styles of dance that would lead to fitness include

Bollywood dancing: Energetic, vibrant, fun and a mixture of numerous styles

Classical Indian: Spirited. Requires stamina, flexibility, strength and co-ordination

Ballet: This focuses on strength, technique and flexibility

Ballroom dancing: Involves a number of partner-dancing styles such as the waltz, swing, foxtrot, rumba and tango.

Belly dancing: This dance style is a fun way to exercise.

Hip-hop: This is performed mostly to hip-hop music; this urban dance style can involve breaking, popping, locking and free-styling.

Jazz: This is a high-energy dance style that involves kicks, leaps and turns to the beat of the music.

Salsa: Very popular and sensual, this dance style is a mixture of Caribbean, Latin American and African influences. You will need a partner.

Tap dancing: This focuses on timing and beats. The name originates from the tapping sounds made when the small metal plates on the dancer’s shoes touch the ground.

If you take a class, give it some time before deciding if you wish to continue with it or try another. Try going with a friend and keep with it for at least a month. You can find dance classes at a dance school, dance studio or a health club.

Doing your own thing: If you’re afraid you have two left feet, embarrassed about dancing in public, or are short on time, you can do your own thing just by turning on some music and dancing around the house. You also can sweat to the music in your living room with dance videos. Just crank up the volume and shake a leg.

Things to remember: If you have a medical condition, are overweight and above 40 with very sedentary lifestyle see your doctor for a check-up.

  • Do warm-up stretches or activities before you begin a dance
  • Make sure you rest between dance
  • Drink water before, during and after dancing.
  • Don’t push yourself too far or too fast, especially if you are just starting out.
  • Perform regular leg-strengthening exercises.
  • Move as fluidly as you can. Jerky movements might lead to accidents & falls.
  • Don’t compete with others if you dance in a group. You are dancing to stay fit and have fun.
  • Cool down after a dance session.

If your doctor hasn’t restricted your activity in any way, you’re ready to rock!

In fact dancing has a wide range of physical and mental benefits like

  • improvement in your heart and lungs health
  • increase in muscular strength, endurance and motor fitness
  • improvement in muscle tone and strength
  • easier loss of weight
  • stronger bones
  • better coordination, agility and flexibility
  • improved physical balance and spatial awareness
  • better self-confidence and social skills
  • improved physical and psychological wellbeing.

Ajit Patel Sanda Wellness – Are You Getting A Full Body Workout?

Are You Getting A Full Body Workout? – Ajit Patel Sanda Wellness

Sometimes at the gym, people tend to concentrate on working only certain parts of their body. These training tips from fitness experts target your whole body and can help people get fit.

Legs

Deep squat – Start with your feet a shoulder width apart, put your hands on your shoulder to keep your back straight and keep your head up. Lower your bum ALL the way to the floor under control and then stand up. By going all the way down you will activate all the muscles in your legs and get that amazing all over look.

Lunges – Step forward, landing the heel first, and lower until the knee is at 90 degrees and directly above your toes. The back knee should continue until it nearly touches the ground. Drive up with the front leg to the starting position. This is great for tightening up the legs.

Arms

Diamond push-ups – Place your palms on the ground and touch thumbs and forefingers together to create a diamond. Perform the press-ups by slowly lowering the chest to your hands and push back up. Put your knees on the ground if you struggle to do 10 to 12 reps. This will get your triceps working hard and tighten them up in no time.

Bench dip – You’ll need a chair or a bench about knee height. Place hands on the bench directly under the shoulders. Legs are straight out away from the bench so they are behind you, lower your body slowly until your bum nearly touches the ground and push back up. Work hard through the burn and you’ll see the success at the other side.

Bum

To really achieve a shapely bum, you need to strip excess fat away:

The Tabata method – As an alternative to counting reps you can follow a timed method, which is one of the most effective methods for fat loss. You work at high intensity for 20 seconds followed by 10 seconds rest. Repeat for 4 minutes (8 cycles). This is a great way to burn calories and it really works.

There’s no substitute for hard work and to get the amazing results of high intensity training, you need to work hard. The good news is these workouts are much shorter; a 20 to 30 minute high intensity workout will burn the same amount of calories as a 1-hour cardio session. With an increased metabolism for up to 36 hours, overall you will burn much more calories.

Abs

Spend 5 to 10 minutes, three times per week, working on your core muscles and feel the benefits.

Exercise 1 – The plank

Adopt a pose similar to a press up but keep your forearms on the ground and shoulder width apart beneath your chest. Keep your body straight and your feet together and balance on your toes. Pull the belly button up to your spine to feel the full effect. Just hold still in this position. Aim to hold for 20 to 60 seconds and lower slowly. Repeat three to five times.

Exercise 2 – Plank superman

From the normal plank, lift your left foot off the ground slowly. Then slowly extend your right arm in front of you. You should now be balancing on your left forearm and right foot. Again hold and squeeze in the abdominal area. Aim to hold for 10 to 30 seconds and repeat two to three times on each side.

Exercise 3 – Half sit

Lie flat on your back with your knees bent at 90 degree. Then squeeze your abs and slowly raise your shoulders and body keeping your back straight. Come about half way up so you maintain tension in the abs and then slowly lower but don’t let your shoulders touch the ground. Aim to complete 10 to 20 repetitions and repeat three to five sets.

Exercise 4 – V-sits

Lie flat on the ground and raise your feet off the ground about six inches. Slowly raise your legs and sit up with your torso, bringing your hands to touch your toes. You then slowly lower to the start position, keeping your back and legs straight. Aim to complete 5 to 15 repetitions and repeat two to three sets.

Bust

The T-Plank – Using five to 10-pound weights as handles, hold your body up in a pushup position, with your legs wider than hip width for more stability. Lift your right arm, holding the weight up, and open your body all the way to the right making a ‘T’ shape with your body. Return to your starting position and do the same on left side. That’s one rep. Do 10 to 20 reps.

The Chest Fly – Lay down on floor, keeping your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Start to raise your arms up with a slight bend in your elbows. Inhale and open your arms wide like you were going to give someone a big hug, stopping with your arms above your chest. Exhale and bring your arms back to a starting position. Repeat 10 to 25 times.

The Elbow Squeeze – Raise the weights up to eye level, pressing them together. Open your elbows wide, then squeeze your elbows back together without letting the weights drop down past eye level. Repeat 20 to 40 times.

Exercise and health vary from person to person. Always train under the supervision of experts. See your physician before beginning on a new exercise regime. This is especially important if your family has a history of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, arthritis, obesity, or other health conditions. If you have any doubts whatsoever, consult your physician.

Ajit Patel Goldshield – Don’t Let Them Skip Breakfast!

Don’t Let Them Skip Breakfast! – Ajit Patel Goldshield

A lot of children regularly go without breakfast before school. Girls are more likely to skip breakfast than boys, and while some sometimes have a morning meal, many don’t have breakfast on school days.

According to dieticians, compared to those who consume homemade breakfast or even ready-to-eat cereals, breakfast skippers are more likely to grow up overweight or obese, have high blood pressure, high cholesterol level and high insulin levels, putting them at risk of type 2 diabetes. Skipping breakfast also affect kids’ mental performance. Studies show that children who don’t have breakfast have reduced attention and visual memory, as well as lower levels of energy and cheerfulness. When 40 adolescents who usually skipped breakfast were given cereals to eat, they felt more alert, full and content so were better able to concentrate in school. Similar health benefits are seen in adults, for whom skipping breakfast increases the risk of type 2 diabetes and heart attack, which provides yet more evidence why breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Healthy breakfasts can include:

  • ‘Wholegrain’, ‘Natural’ or ‘Organic’ porridge, muesli, granola or cereals. Check the sugar and salt content on labels. Serve with semi-skimmed milk and fresh berries. Brown toast, muffins, malt loaf
  • Fresh fruit salad, fruit juice, smoothie
  • Low-fat milk, low-fat cheese
  • Boiled, poached or scrambled eggs
  • A cup of tea, milk or herbal tea.

Many brands now offer healthier cereal choices with no added sugar or sweeteners, and extra nuts and seeds, and a variety of wholegrains rather than just wheat and oats.

If time is tight, try a piece of fruit, unsweetened yoghurt plus a sustained-energy breakfast biscuit containing no high-fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils.

It’s important to get your children in the habit of eating breakfast at an early age. A common reason for skipping breakfast is that children would rather sleep a little longer than eat breakfast. Some teenage girls might skip breakfast because they mistakenly think it will help them lose weight. Regardless of the reasons, breakfast is an important meal that everyone should eat. There are many ways to overcome barriers to eating breakfast, including thinking outside of the box, grab-and-go meals, and choosing wisely. And the old adage of having breakfast like a king and dinner like a pauper still holds good.

Ajit Patel UK – Exercise As Nature Intended

Exercise As Nature Intended – Ajit Patel UK

 One of the most rewarding ways to workout is to exercise in the great outdoors. While providing an unlimited source of fresh air, and a healthy boost of Vitamin D from the sun, studies show that people experience more pleasure and less tension and fatigue when exercising with nature rather than indoors. But what if you hate jogging or are bored by walking? Here are some ideas for enjoying the natural environment while getting your workout fix.

Get on your Bike Gym-bound exercise bikes might track your mileage and calories but it is more inspiring to cycle through beautiful countryside or your local park with a friend, rather than cycling indoors. No one to cycle with? Team up with others in your area.

Time for a Dip You may need to be brave when the weather is cold, but outdoor swimming is truly invigorating. Find outdoor venues and events in your area.

Head to the Beach If you’re lucky enough to live near the sea, why not work out on the beach? Whether it’s a jog across the sand or a game of cricket or beach volleyball, the beach is a great place to exercise and have fun.

Take a Hike Rather than pounding the treadmill, get fit and have fun in the fresh air with a refreshing hill walk. Pick a route with lots of ups and downs for best benefits. Find new landscapes to explore.

Pick a Team If you prefer to exercise with others, try an outdoor team sport such as football, rounders or netball to help you get fit and make new friends. Find a welcome from a sports team or club in your area.

Ajit Patel Sanda Wellness – Spoon feeding ‘makes babies fatter’

Spoon feeding ‘makes babies fatter’- Ajit Patel Sanda Wellness

“Babies weaned on pureed food tend to end up fatter than infants whose first tastes are finger food, researchers believe.

Spoon feeding babies mashed up fruits and vegetables appears to give them a sweeter tooth, a Nottingham University team found after studying 155 children.

Infants who are instead allowed to feed themselves solids tend to favour more satiating carbohydrates like toast.

This early self-regulation of what to eat keeps them slim, BMJ Open says.

The researchers found spoon-fed babies were more often obese, although, overall, most of the youngsters in both groups were a healthy weight.

This weight difference remained even after the investigators accounted for other factors that might have influenced the findings, such the baby’s birth weight, how long they were breastfed for and whether their parents were rich or poor.

Dr Ellen Townsend, who led the research, believes baby-led weaning – where the child is offered a range of chunky foods to grab and self-feed – sets the stage for healthy eating in early childhood.

The ages of the 155 children who took part in the study ranged between 20 months and six years.

Questionnaires filled in by their parents revealed those children who were introduced early to finger foods developed a preference for carbohydrates like toasted pitta bread and pasta over sweeter foods like sugary fruit purees.

This was despite the fact that along with sweet foods, children in the spoon-fed group had also been offered carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables, proteins and whole meals such as lasagne more often than those in the baby-led weaning group.

Dr Townsend said: “It could be an age of introduction effect that we are seeing. Carbohydrates are ideal finger foods.

“But self-control of feeding may also be a factor. You are handing over control and letting the baby decide how much they want to eat.

“With spoon feeding there is the temptation to get into them whatever is left in the bowl or the jar.”

She said longer-term studies were now needed to track the knock-on effect, if any, of weaning method on weight in adolescence and adulthood.

Rosie Dodds of the National Childbirth Trust said the findings suggested that it was safe to let babies feed themselves and choose their own foods when they were ready.

And Tam Fry, of the National Obesity Forum, said it was “quite logical” that babies might inherently know best when it came to which weaning foods to eat.

“It is important that they experience all five food groups and experiment with variety as much as possible.

“If half of it finishes on the floor, so be it – the value of experimentation in the early months of nutrition is incalculable, and babies won’t willingly starve themselves.

“If this also has the advantage of reducing unhealthy weight gain and avoiding obesity, it’s a win-win for mums.”

Dr. Colin Michie, Chair of the Nutrition Committee at the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said: “Although it has a relatively small sample size, this is an important study as it builds on the limited data currently available in this area.

“The findings are particularly valuable and interesting as they suggest that altering weaning patterns can have a direct impact on a child’s food selection when they get older.

“In other words, adjusting weaning could well help tackle the high rates of obesity currently found in the UK. This could be a key element in the fight to prevent overweight children becoming obese adults.”

But baby-led weaning may not stop the child becoming a fussy eater though – a similar number of youngsters in both groups were deemed by their parents to be “picky” about the foods they would eat.”

Ajit Patel UK – Could Your Diet Plan Do With a Boost? Try Hypnosis!

Could Your Diet Plan Do With a Boost? Try Hypnosis! – Ajit Patel UK

If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you’ll know that half the battle is in your mind. This is where hypnosis weight loss programmes come in. When you’re under hypnosis — a state of inner absorption and concentration — you are highly focused and more responsive to ideas about behavioural changes that might benefit your wellbeing, such as your eating habits. But what makes the hypnosis weight loss diet different from any other diet?

According to Nancy B. Irwin, PsyD, CHt, a speaker and author who uses hypnosis to help people become aware of why they overeat, ‘My premise is that there is positive intent behind every bit of human behaviour. No one ever does anything to deliberately be bad or wrong, or even evil…similarly, no one chooses to be obese.’ Clinical experience has taught Irwin that the positive intent behind overeating comes down to numbing emotional pain, thwarting unwanted sexual advances or to literally stand out/be seen.

A University of Connecticut study, published in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, found that hypnosis weight loss programmes can provide a healthy way to address these needs without damaging your wellness. When participants took part in cognitive-behavioural treatments for weight loss reduction, they lost an average of 6lbs. However, when others added hypnosis to this treatment, the average weight loss was 12lbs. Irwin explained that hypnotherapists can reprogramme dieters to follow proper nutritional habits so they are able to commit to an ‘appropriate exercise regime, and most importantly to manage their thoughts, which are self-hypnotic suggestions 24/7.’

Bob Choat, fitness trainer and author of Mind Your Own Fitness, added that hypnosis can offer support to healthy eating and an exercise plan — but it’s not a magic pill. ‘What I’ve discovered regarding weight loss is that simply using hypnosis alone is not enough,’ he said. ‘Immediate action after a hypnosis session is important. Also, special suggestions, such as eating healthy veggies or increasing walking, is part of the solution.’

You can try hypnosis at home using books, videos, or audio recordings and your own voice to form a close connection between your body and mind for a specific reason. Make sure you find a quiet, distraction-free place for five to 30 minutes, making sure you’re as relaxed as possible. Breathe in and out deeply to release any negative energy in your body and mind, and imagine overcoming your weight loss goal. Repeat the statement to reaffirm your confidence in accomplishing your goal, and slowly locate your body and mind back to reality and open your eyes.

Ajit Patel Sanda Wellbeing – Child Obesity Not Prevented By Parent Diet Choice Knowledge

Child Obesity Not Prevented By Parent Diet Choice Knowledge – Ajit Patel Sanda Wellbeing

 “A study of the families of 150 preschoolers suggests that parents of healthy-weight and overweight preschoolers are generally well aware of dietary risk factors that fuel childhood obesity.

The research, conducted by the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and All Children’s Hospital in Florida, suggests that awareness alone is not enough to effect meaningful weight change, and that pediatricians should help parents with specific and tailored guidance on how to apply their knowledge in daily practice, the researchers said.

The study, published ahead of print in the journal Clinical Pediatrics, also illuminates the gap between what parents know about the root causes of obesity and what they can actually do to maintain healthy diets for preschoolers, a group generally overlooked in obesity research and prevention.

“When it comes to obesity prevention, the focus tends to be on school-age children and teens, but a growing body of research has found a link between poor life-long health and being overweight as early as 2 years of age,” said lead investigator Raquel Hernandez, M.D. M.P.H., a pediatrician at Johns Hopkins.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define children with a body-mass index at or above the 85th percentile for their age as overweight. One-third of the 150 children in the current study were overweight, most from low-income urban homes, and more than 90 percent African-American.

“Childhood obesity is a complex, multi-factorial phenomenon but our findings reveal that, for the most part, lack of parental awareness of nutritional risk factors is not one of the drivers behind it,” Hernandez said.

The investigators set out to identify parental perceptions of risk factors for childhood obesity and barriers to healthy weight and to determine whether the parents of healthy-weight preschoolers viewed such risks and barriers differently from the parents of overweight children. They didn’t. The study found minimal to non-existent differences between the two groups. One important risk factor remained seriously overlooked by parents in both groups: physical activity. Only 7 percent of parents in the healthy-weight group and 8 percent in the overweight group cited lack of physical activity as a top driver of unhealthy weight.

Recent studies have shown that few preschoolers achieve healthy levels of activity, and most remain sedentary 85 percent of the time, the investigators say. The results of the study suggest that parents undervalue physical activity in an age group often perceived as “active enough,” and alerting parents to the risks of inactivity is critical in obesity prevention, according to Janet Serwint, M.D., of Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

“The importance of physical activity and age-appropriate exercise is one area where we could step up educational efforts,” Serwint said. “Pediatricians should discuss specific and age-appropriate activity goals during well-child visits.”

Nearly 40 percent of parents in both groups identified buying and preparing unhealthy food as the top contributor to weight problems at an early age. Similar numbers of parents in both groups (23 percent and 31 percent) cited using food as a reward for good behavior as a risk factor for weight problems. A nearly equal proportion of parents in both groups (25 percent and 23 percent) said that asking the child to finish food on the plate was the most critical contributor to overweight or obesity.

Importantly, one-third of parents from both groups (35 percent and 33 percent) identified lack of control over the child’s food choices as the top barrier to healthy weight – a notable finding, the researchers say, given that most preschool children spend most of their waking hours in daycare or with alternate caregivers.

“Daycare providers, grandparents and others involved in a child’s care are often just as important in achieving healthy-weight goals as the parents themselves, and parents should be encouraged to provide specific dietary and activity instructions to these influential caregivers,” Hernandez said.”