Advice for parents of overweight teens

A new study in Pediatrics shows parents of overweight teens who push dieting but don't take steps to help them eat healthier and become more active are more likely to fail.

Researchers say teens are very sensitive about these topics and are very likely to take a parent's well-intentioned comment as criticism In this study, for both boys and girls, being encouraged to diet roughly tripled their likelihood of still being overweight five years later.

Scientists say emphasis needs to be put on providing parents with the skills and the support they need to make their home environments healthier and more conducive to healthier weight management.