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Updated: May 20, 2026

Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
Published on: May 30, 2025
Parenting an overweight or obese teen: issues and advice from parents
Kerri N Boutelle1, Shira Feldman, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer
1Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, USA. kboutelle@ucsd.edu
Objective:
This qualitative study addresses: (1) what challenges parents of overweight adolescents face and (2) what advice parents of overweight adolescents have for other parents.
Design:
One-on-one interviews were conducted with parents of overweight or previously overweight adolescents.
Setting:
Medical clinic at the University of Minnesota.
Participants:
Twenty-seven parents of adolescents (12-19 years) who were either currently or previously overweight recruited from the community.
Main Outcome Measures:
Qualitative interviews related to parenting overweight adolescents.
Analysis:
Content analysis was used to identify themes regarding parental experiences.
Results:
Issues most frequently mentioned were (1) uncertainty regarding effective communication with adolescent about weight-related topics; (2) inability to control adolescents' decisions related to healthful eating and activity behaviors; (3) concern for adolescents' well-being; and (4) parental feeling of responsibility/guilt. Parental advice most often provided included: (1) setting up a healthful home environment; (2) parental role modeling of healthful behaviors; and (3) providing support/encouragement for positive efforts.
Conclusions And Implications:
Topics for potential intervention development include communication and motivation of adolescents regarding weight-related topics, appropriate autonomy, and addressing negative emotions concerning the adolescent's weight status. Targeting these topics could potentially improve acceptability and outcomes for treatments.
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