Helping a self-conscious youth

Say no to dieting

Don't put your child on a diet. You risk her developing an eating disorder, since many begin with seesaw dieting. The majority of people who lose weight through dieting regain the weight they lost plus a few pounds.

Putting a child on a diet could set him up to fail. When you restrict his food, he may feel deprived and experience an increased interest in having those foods that are considered taboo. Then he may seek to satisfy his hunger by sneaking a bag of chips or, more likely, half the contents of your fridge. With that, he may feel ashamed and out of control, although this scenario is not always inevitable.

As a parent or caregiver, your job is to prepare nutritious snacks and meals. It's your child's job to choose what and how much she wants to eat. Fighting about food usually leads to eating more. Denying particular foods only makes them more appealing. If your child isn't allowed ice cream, she may crave it!

Can we change our weight? Dieting may adjust our metabolic requirements in the wrong direction. It pushes them down. The only way we can increase our energy requirements is through regular aerobic exercise.

Aerobic exercise refers to the continuous movement that makes the heart beat faster, but not to the point where you're puffing. During aerobic excercise, you should still be able to speak comfortably. To reap the most benefit from aerobic exercise, maintain the activity for at least twenty continuous minutes. It's best not to single out your overweight child by insisting, "You need to exercise." Chances are that your whole family needs to exercise. Make fitness a family goal.