Family Ecologies and Child Risk for Obesity: Focus on Regulatory Processes

Childhood obesity is a significant public health problem. The causes of obesity are complex and extend across biological and social ecologies. This article focuses on how proximal regulatory processes connect biological risk for obesity and family systems. Response to satiety, distress during feeding, organization of family routines, and exposure to food marketing are provided as examples of the complexity of risk for obesity. The article concludes with recommendations for practice and policy to prevent childhood obesity and to empower families to take an active role in their community.