The Word on Weightloss

When I was growing up I was overweight. I loved to eat and I looked forward to every meal. My parents fed mthe family high quality foods at every meal, full of fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meats. The problem wasn’t the food I was being given, it was the amount of food I was eating as well as the sweet stuff I had at school that my parents didn’t know about. Those two pieces put together are what caused me to be an overweight “tween” and teenager growing up.

The memories of being overweight and being made fun of because of my size are still vivid in my mind - but I didn't know much about portions, weight management or nutrition. Today, obesity is a very dangerous epidemic and a very real problem among a lot of American families that often begins in childhood. There are many things that parents can do to encourage healthy diets and eating habits with their growing family, and we’ll explore a few of these ideas and weight loss tips here.

Open the lines of communication
Chances are, if your teen is overweight they don’t need you to remind them. If they are anything like I was, they already hear it from all of their classmates. When approaching your teen to discuss healthy eating habits it’s important to be sensitive. Your goal in opening up the lines of communication is to encourage a sensible weight loss program that will help them grow into a healthy young adult. Offer support and gentle understanding. Suggest ways to help them get started on the right foot – a consistent exercise routine you can do together and a healthy diet where they can learn to make better portion and  nutrition decisions.

What’s a realistic body image?
With stick thin models glossing the covers of every magazine, it’s hard for teenagers to understand what a healthy person looks like. Remind your teen that there is no single ideal body weight to achieve. The appropriate weight for one person may not be the same for another. Banish words like “fat” or “skinny” from the conversation and focus more on healthy weight and a diet with a healthy weight loss schedule. There is no quick fix. For more specific or realistic body weight goals, talk to your family doctor about what’s best for each individual specifically.

Again, there is no quick fix, period!
A healthy body is the result of a well-planned,  nutritious diet and a fitness program. Fad diets will only help you lose weight temporarily. Diet pills and other quick weight loss programs or drugs could be extremely harmful to young adults because they contain ingredients that do not promote a healthy, sustaining lifestyle. Consider a permanent change for a healthy lifestyle with good eating and fitness habits for success.

Promote physical activity
Most doctors recommend teens need 60 minutes of physical activity a day, but this doesn’t have to be 60 consecutive minutes of activity at one time. Short bursts of activity throughout the day are just as successful in boosting energy and will help with healthy weight loss. It’s not a bad idea to try and get your teen involved in team sports or other physical activities before or after school. Team sports help them to develop interpersonal skills, make friends all while being active at the same time...and could promote losing weight as well. But, if they aren’t into team sports don’t push them to be! Ask them to be more active around the house – help with chores or mow the law. Anything that encourages activity is a plus and will help with their weight management!