Telling those children or grandkids "no" may just whet their appetite for forbidden foods. A new study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finds restricting children's access to foods they want may lead to over-indulgence in the long run.
The experiment sounds a little cruel. Preschoolers were given two snack foods for several weeks. Then one food was provided while the restricted food was visible in a jar. The kids were told it was "off limits."
Once the forbidden food was again made available, children took larger than normal portions. They ate more than during the initial study period when the food was freely available.
Jennifer Fisher is lead author of the study. She says adults "should provide children with a variety of nutritious foods and with enough guidance to help their children make reasonable decisions about what and how much to eat."
And while watching the children's diets, be sure to watch what you eat. Take our ThirdAge Nutrition Quiz.
