Young Adults / Teens and Losing Weight

We always have a problem when dealing with teenagers.  They are neither adults nor are they children.  It is easy to err on the side of kindness when we are talking to “my little girl” or be too demanding when we expect maturity and understanding discussing a topic with “my young woman.”  She is a young adult but how much can you blunt without hurting her feelings; where do we draw the line or push to get results?

No topic is more “off-limits” in our society than weight (perhaps income but that is not a health issue directly). When it comes to being heavy (or worse, heavy going on obese) we are being negligent parents when we are uncomfortable bringing up the topic.  Obesity hurts a person everywhere in their body: circulation, heart, kidneys, joints, and so on.

And studies show that when weight-loss pressure comes from parents, the majority of young adults ignore the message or fixate on destructive (and ineffective) weight-control behaviors such as “binging and purging” (eating a great deal of food and throwing it up to avoid the calories). But a small shift in how you talk to your teen about eating habits can bolster his or her brain power, self-image and chances for a brighter future — and isn’t that what you really want? 

–Talk about healthful eating, not weight loss. Teens are sensitive to parental criticism; changing your conversation from weight loss to healthful habits makes sure they don’t overreact or get defensive. 

–Share nutritional info. Let them know that people who eat 5-9 servings of veggies a day and avoid stripped-down carbohydrates and saturated fats are happier, have healthier hearts, less cancer and end up with better jobs. All that from a carrot! 

–Make good nutrition a family project. Make meal planning, grocery shopping and cooking together. Dads, studies show that if you bring the healthful eating message (we suggest the Mediterranean diet) to the table, it has special powers to transform your teen’s eating habits and weight. 

–And try walking together, too. Enjoy talking about world events, or whatever, but not obesity! 

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