A new study led by Professor Jennifer Black of the University of British Columbia, published on August 21, 2025, critiques the narrow focus of medical research on children’s nutrition, revealing a persistent tendency to blame parents, particularly mothers, for dietary shortcomings while overlooking broader societal and structural influences.

Analyzing 20 studies from leading medical journals, the research introduces the concept of “food care,” defined as the emotional, cognitive, and physical processes involved in providing food for health and welfare. The findings highlight that current studies disproportionately emphasize parental feeding practices, body size concerns, and mealtime interactions as sources of children’s eating challenges, often neglecting the positive contributions of food care to family bonds and mental well-being.

The study identifies a pervasive bias rooted in “intensive parenting” ideologies, which assume parents—especially mothers—bear primary responsibility for children’s health outcomes. Three-quarters of the analyzed studies framed parental actions as harmful, linking them to risks like disordered eating or excess weight, even when effects were minimal or clinically insignificant.

Recommendations often urged parents to “do better” without addressing structural barriers such as access to nutritious food, safe preparation facilities, or supportive policies like school meal programs. This parent-blaming narrative echoes critiques from the 1980s, when psychologist Paula Caplan noted a historical trend of holding mothers accountable for children’s psychological issues.

To advance pediatric nutrition, the study calls for a shift in research focus toward systemic factors, including food affordability, literacy, and community resources, which significantly shape family food practices. By challenging assumptions about gender roles and idealized parenting, researchers can better support families and inform policies that address real-world complexities.

The authors urge health scholars to recognize the unseen labor of feeding families, as highlighted by sociologist Marjorie DeVault, and to prioritize holistic approaches that empower communities rather than perpetuating outdated tropes of parental failure.

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