Background: According to the WHO, in 2022 over 390 million children and adolescents were overweight. Childhood obesity is one of the most pressing global health challenges, and most overweight and obese children are at increased risk of being overweight as adult. Obesity increases the risk of various diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Relatives play a central role in a child’s behavior regarding weight, and good communication between relatives and healthcare professionals is essential for the child’s health.

Aim: To describe the nurse’s experiences of encountering relatives of children with overweight and obesity.

Methods: A general literature review was used as the study design and thematic analysis was used to analyze scientific articles.

Results: One main theme and five sub-themes were identified. The main theme was “challenging and complex communication”. The sub-themes were: Fear of negative reactions and feelings of relatives, Need to balance to build a trusting relationship, Use of resources, Lack of competence and personal challenge sof nurses, and Cultural and economic aspects.

Conclusions: Raising awareness of the emotions and reactions of both nurses and parents is important. Clear guidelines and educational materials for nurses are needed to foster better understanding and empathy in communication.