Family Mealtime (IMAGE) Texas A&M AgriLife Communications Caption New research indicates that father's are more likely than mother's to have an impact on childhood obesity. A study by Texas AgriLife Research showed that lenient fathers allow their children more trips to fast-food restaurants which have been linked to obesity in children. Credit Texas AgriLife Research photo by Kathleen Phillips Usage Restrictions Not for resale. Use with credit. License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.