What can I do
to help my overweight teen?
If your overweight teenager is ready to put
some effort into getting healthier, he or she will need your
help. Although being more independent is important to a
teenager, your support is needed in this effort. You can
help by creating a reasonable plan. But remember, your teen
needs to buy into it and have a desire to stick with it to
be successful. Some teens do best with 1 or 2 simple goals,
while others will want to move faster and make sweeping
health changes. Any movement in the right direction should
be encouraged. Having a partner in the plan (such as a
friend) can also help. Part of being successful is to have a
support for when the going gets tough.
What can I
teach my teen about food?
- Teach about
healthy diet and weight.
Tell your teen the truth. Losing weight
and getting in better shape takes effort. Have
open-ended conversations about the habits that lead to
gaining too much weight such as not enough exercise,
skipping meals, drinking too many soft drinks, or eating
a lot of fast food.
Tell your teen that weight and body
shape run in families. It is okay if a healthy size for
your family is a size 14, with healthy eating and
exercise.
- Don't allow
your teen to practice unsafe diets.
There are serious consequences of
starvation or fad diets for a teen who is still growing.
Unrealistic goals lead to feelings of failure and
sometimes to eating disorders. Fad diets or dieting can
also throw your teen's hunger cues off track.
Restrictive diets that say when and what to eat at
certain times make it hard for people to recognize when
they are comfortably full.
- Teach your
teen to eat only when hungry.
People eat for many reasons such as time
of day, or feeling bored, frustrated, nervous, or
depressed. The best reason to eat is hunger. Ask your
teen when they eat, overeat, or crave certain foods. If
your teen is eating when not hungry, encourage your teen
to do something else such as exercising, reading, or
working on a project to stop thinking about food.
Help your teen practice eating until
hunger is satisfied, but not to the point of feeling
stuffed. If your teen eats this way, he should be hungry
every 2 to 3 hours. Snacking is not a bad habit, as long
as snacks are healthy. People who eat small frequent
meals instead of a few large ones often have lower body
fat, even if they eat the same amount of calories per
day. Try 3 smaller meals, with a few snacks in between.
- Let your teen
have treats.
Cravings happen. If your teen really
wants a high-calorie snack, let her go out for a treat.
The treat should be a reasonable portion. Try not to
keep high-calorie foods in the house. If you bake
something, keep a few servings for your family and share
the rest with neighbors or friends. That way you can
satisfy the craving and move on. Any foods can fit into
your teen's diet if your teen learns a healthy balance
between treats and healthy foods.
Does my teen need to go on a specific diet?
If you are worried that your teen is
overweight or obese, go to a health care provider for a
thorough exam. Most health care providers say teens who are
still growing should not go on diets. Rather, they should
try to adopt healthy eating habits and try to maintain their
current weight (but not gain any extra). As your teen
finishes growing, the weight will even out. If your teen is
above 95% on the Body Mass Index (BMI) for Age growth
charts, your provider may recommend a specific diet for slow
weight loss.
If your teen has stopped growing, it is
usually safe to go on a calorie-controlled diet plan. About
1 pound per week weight loss is a good goal. These plans
usually require your teen to eat a certain number of
calories a day. The plan will include eating a variety of
foods from each food group. Talk to your health care
provider or a registered dietitian about diets that would be
safe for your teen.
Strong emotions can get in the way of a
healthy meal or diet plan. If there are issues from the past
or present that need be addressed, find counseling for your
teen.
