CUTTING CURVES

We hear about the dangers of childhood obesity. We see images of miserable looking children with fat rolls billowing over their too tight pants, shirts bursting up above the gut, and we can only imagine the sadness and shame on their faces hidden from view. Medical experts warn of the dire consequences of being “overweight:” diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and just about any other ailment you can imagine.

We are told that this generation of children will be the first to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents (a statement that induces fear but seems to ignore the fact that life expectancy is actually at an all-time high). At school, children are graded not only on their academic performance, but also according to their Body Mass Index (BMI). A child’s fatness is seen as a reflection of parenting skills and parents of fat children are deemed bad parents. These parents are even at risk of having their children removed from their care and being arrested for neglect. It’s no wonder so many parents worry about their children’s weight!

So, how do you talk to your child about weight? My opinion is: you don’t. Weight is not the most important predictor of health—in fact BMI is a pretty lousy indicator of health—and factors like nutrition, physical activity, and stress play a more significant role.
So instead of talking about weight, model healthy eating habits, physical activity, and positive body image that can be achieved at any weight. Encourage children to eat in ways that are attuned with their internal signals of hunger and fullness, to chose foods that they enjoy and make their body feel good, involve children in the food preparation process to get them excited about meals, and find fun types of physical activity that the child enjoys.