Insisting that your child "cleans his plate" may lead to his overeating, according to a study in the
Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
Researchers from Cornell University studied 63 preschoolers in daycare settings. The ones whose parents enforced a "clean plate" rule were more likely to ask for seconds.
"Parents who insist children clean their plates may be asserting excess control," said Dr. Brian Wansink, author of the study. "They could unknowingly be inhibiting the development of the child's self-control around food."
Labels: overeating, parenting