The report from Boston University School of Medicine also found that the fewest weight problems occur among children whose parents are "authoritative" - having high expectations for self control but respectful of a child's opinions and who set clear boundaries.
The study also found that children of parents who are permissive, defined as indulgent and without discipline, also have weight problems but not to the degree of the offspring of strict disciplinarians with low levels of sensitivity, the study said.
