At a recent picnic with my extended family, my 8-year-old child and a 12-year-old nephew were discussing the calorie content of a certain food. My mother commented to me that she didn't even know what a calorie was when she was their age let alone be worried about it.
And as a parent, my mother certainly didn't worry about whether I was getting the right number of minutes of physical activity each day.
Times have changed. Obesity and eating disorders are on the rise among children under the age of 12. One might lay the blame on any or a combination of the following: technology, safety, shifts in parents working more or outside the home, or food choices.
Rather than playing the blame game, however, perhaps we need to step back and reflect on our reaction to weight and childhood obesity.
In our well-intended fight against obesity, have we yelled too loudly, sending the wrong messages to children? Put too much emphasis on weight rather than health? Created feelings of anxiety and regret around food and numbers on a scale?
How do you talk to kids about food, health, exercise and weight?
Here are few suggestions:
As kids grow and mature, their body image and self-esteem evolve. If you have concerns that your child has issues related to weight or food, talk to your health care provider, sooner rather than later.
Any advice to share with a fellow parent? Anything you've done that has worked well for your child? Or anything you'd do differently? Please share.
To our children's health,
Katherine