How Dads Measure Up In Our Kids' Eyes

Newcastle Herald

Wednesday September 3, 2008

writes Jenny Tarran

RESEARCHERS from the University of Newcastle have put the call out for overweight dads who want to improve their own fitness and also help their kids.

Associate Professor Philip Morgan from the university's faculty of education and arts is leading a study designed to help fathers promote healthy eating and physical activity at home.

This program is a world first, as dads have never been targeted in this way to help influence the eating behaviour and activity levels of their families.

"Initial unpublished findings showed that children are more likely to follow the example set by their father than their mother when it comes to eating and exercise," Professor Morgan said.

"Fathers influence the food and physical activity habits in the home through their behaviours, attitudes and approach to food and eating and act as a role model to their children."

There have been plenty of programs aimed at mothers, or both mothers and fathers, but this is the first to target dads.

"Women are usually targeted, but when you offer a program that is open, it is usually the mums who put their hands up, but you are more likely to be successful [for child health] if you have two care-givers on the same page."

For many years programs aimed at children's health were designed for women as there was a belief that men wouldn't sign up to a program, and when you consider that 90 per cent were written for women and the rest for both genders it is easy to see why.

"A lot of people say you can't recruit men, but if it is a program tailored to men you can. If you tell them they can still enjoy a beer and lose weight then they are more likely to join in so we decided to do one based on the dads after some great preliminary work," Professor Morgan said.

The study has three main objectives. To focus on getting dads into a healthy weight range; to look at the family's nutrition and activity,; and to help improve children's motor skills.

Being overweight, or more precisely having a body mass index (BMI) of more than 25, and having a child who is primary school age are the two main requirements needed to be involved in the study.

"Seventy per cent of Hunter Valley men are obese or overweight, but the dads can be just a smidge over. If a man's overweight just give us a call. It may be that dad just has a few kilos to loose and that is fine," Professor Morgan said.

"Dads can have three kids and they can all be involved, as long as one of them is in primary school they are fine."

The study will involve eight sessions at the university, along with before-and-after assessments and tests, and the children will be involved in several of the sessions.

The study will involve getting the dads and kids out running around doing a range of physical activities to improve motor skills, a process that will also be fun for all involved.

"It is all about engaging dads in the life of the child, there is a long checklist of benefits, they are all good outcomes," he said.

Healthy Dads, Healthy Kids program will start in October. For further information or to get involved email James Bray at James.Bray@newcastle.edu.au or telephone 4921 6158.

© 2008 Newcastle Herald

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