2019 has arrived, people have already joined and dropped out of the gym, weight loss clinics are packed. Dieting is looked at as common-place.
Aspiring to be more physically healthy is wise and admirable, but caution should be used when discussing your weight or dieting, in front of your children. According to Maura Hohman, as written in People Magazine, “Research has shown that kids whose parents talk about weight are more likely to have negative feelings about their bodies and experiment with unhealthy dieting behaviors.
One study looked at fathers and mothers with sons and daughters around 14 years old, finding that kids are more likely to control their weight in unhealthy ways and binge eat if their parents talk about weight loss in their presence. Another study indicated that parents who talk about controlling weight are more likely to raise high schoolers who are dissatisfied with their bodies. ‘When parents are over-focused on weight, body image and dieting, it can lead to disordered eating, and can worsen [your child’s] weight status’ explains Dr. Stephen Cook, associate professor of pediatrics and internal medicine at the University of Rochester & Golisano Children’s Hospital.”
If you have weight-loss goals, state them in terms of health and not appearance. For instance, “I’m going to start going to the gym because I need to get stronger and have more energy and exercise will help me.” Or, “I’m going to replace my morning donut with eggs because the sugar in the donut is making me have a stomach ache and I want to feel great.”
Set your weight-loss goals but be careful how you talk about them in front of your children. One way is helpful, the other may hurt your children in the long run.
