The importance of families to adolescents' physical activity and dietary intake.

The family environment plays a key role in the development and maintenance of adolescent physical activity and dietary behaviors. Specifically, family support and encouragement, behavior modeling by parents, and resources available in the home are important mechanisms through which families can promote, or discourage, physical activity and healthful eating. In this article, we have provided a comprehensive review of the current body of literature examining the role of the family environment in adolescent physical activity and nutrition. Additionally, we discuss strategies to intervene on the family environment through work with schools, with the family unit, and by clinical providers.