title: Attitudes to weight and weight management in the early teenage years: a qualitative study of parental perceptions and views.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  As most young teenagers grow up in families, parents might be well situated to facilitate and support their weight management and thereby prevent or manage obesity prior to adulthood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This paper explores parents' perceptions of, and views about, their teenage children's weight and the factors that influence parents' weight management strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted two qualitative studies in Scotland, UK, involving in-depth interviews with the parents of overweight/obese and 'normal' weight 13-15 year olds (n = 69).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parents' concerns about their own weight provided useful context for understanding their attitudes or actions with regards to their teenage child. Some parents described their teenager's weight as being of concern to them, although puberty often introduced confusion about a child's weight status. Genetic explanations were very often put forward as a way of making sense of teenage weight or body size. Frustration about advising teenagers about weight management was expressed, and some parents worried about giving their growing child a 'problem' if they directly raised concerns about weight with them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Parents' views about their own weight as well as social and moral norms about labelling a teenager as overweight or as needing help with their weight could usefully inform patient-centred service development. Parent/teenage partnerships and supporting parents to create a healthy home in which teenagers can make healthier choices are suggestions for intervention development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study highlights the importance of taking parents' perceptions into account when developing family-based interventions to address teenage overweight and obesity.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Primary and Community Care (CRIPACC), University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK.
authors.forename: Wendy J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Wills
authors.affiliation: Centre for Public Health Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lawton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001835:Body Weight; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000628:therapy; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012923:Social Class; D006113:United Kingdom
keywords: parents; qualitative study; socio-economic status; weight management; young teenagers