Parents who want their teenagers to show a good level of fitness may feel very guilty about their own fitness habits, concerned that their inability to take enough exercise is having an effect on their teenager. They can now relax a little and stop blaming themselves, as new research has shown that parents’ habits don’t have much of an effect on the wellness of their teens.
With weight, it is a different story, as overweight parents tend to have teens who are less physically fit, and those with a normal weight tend to have teens who are more physically fit. However, teenagers who have parents who are fit or unfit, have an equal chance of being fit or unfit.
This study was part of a very large study, carried out in Germany, which included 1,328 teenagers. The lead researcher, Eliane Peterhans, who works in the sports science department of the University of Konstanz in Germany pointed out that it is very important to understand the health habits of teenagers, because, at this age, there is still a chance to correct any unhealthy behaviours and put them back on the right path to full wellness.
As part of the research, the participants were put on bicycles to assess their cardiorespiratory fitness, and they were also given questionnaires to help assess their and their families fitness levels and health behaviours.
The results were surprising, showing that teens who have two parents who are both a normal weight were likely to have better cardiovascular fitness than teens who had one or more overweight parents. Due to the link between body weight and fitness, it may be that families who have a healthier lifestyle overall are likely to have lower weight, and therefore their children are likely to be healthier. On the other hand, it may simply be that teenage children do not view their parents as role models, and so are not affected by their parents’ levels of fitness.
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