Displaying parental responsibility for childhood obesity: aspects of care and family relationships

Childhood obesity is a much-debated health issue in Sweden as well as worldwide. Considerable emphasis is given to the prevention of excessive weight gain and obesity in early childhood, for example by providing lifestyle advice to parents. Based on interviews with Swedish parents of obese children aged between eight and 12, in this article parent narratives of everyday practices in relation to children's diet and exercise habits are analysed as acts of 'displaying normality'. The results show that explanations as to why it is difficult to manage the child's weight appear to be connected to avoiding the risk of the child receiving negative attention and issues relating to the child's own responsibility. These findings are discussed in terms of 'displaying family normality'.