Home Environment Is Essential for Developing Healthy Eating Habits

Home environment, how can parents or other family members structure it in order to help the child develop healthy eating habits?

Home environment has a big impact on the pathway of the life course which is effected often by many involved factors. Such as society, neighbourhood, family, individuals, area, the cellular levels, the physiological and psychological aspect. As well as ultimately the social exposures. According to Ben-Shlomo, Mishra, and Kuh (2014) life course epidemiologists explain how a father’s social class in childhood may affect the biological functions and the development of the adults. That means we must be careful about our children and understand that bad social exposure can affect negatively the health of our children, especially in puberty.

According to Backett, Wills, Roberts, and Lawton (2010); Albon (2005) controlling the child’s sweet-eating behaviours and focusing on a varied diet could develop healthy eating habits. Even Lovell (2016) mentioned that we should focus on early childhood because that time is a sensitive time that may impact food choices later in life. As well as promoting healthy fatty food, providing fruits and vegetables, and limiting unhealthy food. Moreover, vilifies obesity and exalts thinness.

The family should get inspired by a health advisor about health and nutritional information. That is because that can promote healthy eating habits for children and adolescents. A parent should apply the health and nutrition information at home with their children, by using creativity and fun tricks, as well as by promoting resilience and being a role model, because imitation could help. Parents should examine the mealtime structure, the mealtime process, the child-eating response, and mealtime etiquette (Lovell, 2016).

What do you think are the greatest barriers to structuring home environments for healthy eating? 

The barriers that can structure the home environment are social and cultural conditions, especially with lack of control, family conditions affect eating practices and routines, also sociocultural circumstances were individuals in the society get shaped by shared past and present knowledge. Even there is an association between healthier eating practices and higher socioeconomic status Backett et al. (2010).

Motivation is not enough, moving from motivation to action could help much more. Also, parental values could affect the home environment. Parental values stand for the identity that parents are caring about, which usually are impacted by personal thoughts and feelings. Furthermore, the perception they receive from public sources, selective services, and education. Which include all such internet, books, magazine, Tv, and advertisement. As well as when parents, grandparents or friends undermine their rules over the children’s eating habits (Lovell, 2016).