Peer Influences on Obesity in Children

Peer influences may impact the development of obesity in childhood. Peers can exert influence through their attitudes and behaviors toward food, exercise, and weight status in ways which may promote or, alternatively, discourage healthy behaviors related to eating and physical activity. Peer influence is of appreciable importance in childhood and adolescence. Most children spend as much or more time in school and engaged in after-school activities with their peers as they do at home with their family. Peer group has been found to significantly influence many health-related behaviors throughout childhood, such as smoking and sexual behavior. Additionally, children share at least one meal, in addition to potential snacks, with peers during the average weekday and typically engage in physical education together through school curriculum. Therefore, it seems likely that eating and physical activity habits would be affected by peer group to some extent.

One way in which peers may affect the development of obesity in childhood is by affecting children's eating habits. Little research exists regarding social influence on infant and toddler populations. This is presumably due to the fact that eating is largely controlled by parents during this developmental stage. While in very young children (2 years of age and under), peer influences on food preference might not be strong, for children in preschool environments with ample interaction with peers are strongly influenced by their classmates choice of foods.

Studies have demonstrated that food preference, selection, and intake can be affected by that of one's peers at this age. Witnessing another child selecting, eating, and enjoying a food has been found to make the food more desirable and acceptable to a young child. This finding is corroborated by parental report. Parents tend to report that children of this age begin requesting foods based on what they report others are eating at school. This influence of peer modeling on the food preferences of young children appears to be maintained over time and, thus, may permanently affect children's dietary selection.

Some peers may be more influential than others in altering food choice. According to existing research, peers who are prestigious, well-liked, and nonaggressive are the most likely to affect the eating behavior of other children. Older children appear to exert considerable influence on the food choices of younger children, likely because younger children look up to them as role models. Additionally, females may be more influential models of eating behavior than males. Some argue that this is because children are used to looking to female figures within their families, namely their mothers, for cues on how to eat. This effect may also be a reflection of a temperament, as girls tend to be less aggressive than their male peers, which may in turn make them more desirable models of behavior.

There is less evidence to suggest that peers significantly impact on the eating behavior in middle childhood and preadolescence (ages 6–12). Several studies demonstrate that peer modeling effects on food choice are stronger in younger subsets of children. This is likely because food preferences have become more stable by this time and, therefore, less susceptible to outside influence.

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