Researchers Wake Up To The Fact That Dads Influence Children Too
Ever wonder why there are so many surveys about how moms are impacting the lives of their kids and yet there is never a survey dedicated to dads? A researcher at Texas A&M pioneered a study revealing how men’s dietary choices can impact that of their children. And there is actually an impact based on what Daddy chooses to stuff his face with.
Alex McIntosh, a professor of sociology at Texas A&M University in College Station, commented on why she decided to survey the paternal half for once:
“We undertook the study because people are interested in how parents affect children’s eating habits and obesity, and I’ve always felt that there was too much attention paid to mothers, and we ought to be looking at fathers every time we look at mothers,” said McIntosh.
Karen Ansel, a spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, observed that with more women working outside the home and more parents assuming c0-parenting roles, a father’s influence is shifting. While it’s a relief to finally see researchers recognizing the evolving family portrait, this also lets mothers off the hook a bit for their every move and “misstep.” As this research indicates, a father’s decisions can have the very same impact, despite what a mother does or upholds.
