Try not to label people as “fat” or “good” or “bad.” Use phrases like “not a healthy weight for their age” or “above average weight” rather than words like “chunky” or “obese.” Whatever your child's weight, there are things you can do to help their self-esteem.
Talking openly about weight rather than avoiding the topic can help to build trust and stops it feeling like something to be ashamed about. Children want to know if they are overweight or not and want their parents to help them to be healthy.
Don't talk about 'losing weight' or 'dieting'
Talk about the things your family can do to eat healthier and be more active. The long-term approach works best. Focus on making healthier lifestyle habits as a family. This includes active play, healthier sleep routines, less screen time and healthier eating.
Studies show that commenting on your daughter's weight majorly boosts her chance of not liking her body – regardless of what she weighs. It can also put her at a higher risk for eating disorders including binge eating disorder (which is what happened to me).
Discourage dieting and skipping meals. Instead, encourage and support healthy eating and increased physical activity. Find reasons to praise your child's efforts. Celebrate small, incremental changes in behavior but don't reward with food.
When talking to children about weight gain, don't mention appearance or attractiveness at all. It isn't relevant. You are talking about a health issue and so keep the conversation focused on health. Focus on the benefits of movement and nutrition rather than on weight.
Overweight kids and teens can develop weight-related health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure and are more likely to be overweight as adults. And adults who are overweight have a greater chance of serious health problems, such as heart disease.
Starting at the 2-year checkup, your pediatrician should go over your child's weight, height, and BMI. They'll probably show you a growth chart with how your child's numbers compare to other kids of their age and gender, called their BMI percentile.
According to a study, Vitamin D supplements can promote weight loss in obese children. It may also help reduce risk factors for future heart disease and metabolic disease in overweight children.
Social and emotional complications
Children who have obesity may experience teasing or bullying by their peers. This can result in a loss of self-esteem and an increased risk of depression and anxiety.
Obese children often have mental and behavioral disorders, aversion, high emotional nature, low distractibility and threshold of reaction, damaged self-awareness, low self-evaluation, are not gregarious, demonstrate unhappiness and satisfaction and have poor social adaptation ability.
Parents feel that the child's weight gain is not only equated with criticism of the child but also criticism that they have failed as parents. Having an overweight child can entail a sense of shame. In order to protect their children, parents do not want to include them in dialogue with the school health services.
Obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex. For example, a 10-year-old boy of average height (56 inches) who weighs 102 pounds would have a BMI of 22.9 kg/m2.
This is especially important when talking to people with eating disorders or serious body image issues, since such remarks can worsen their situation. Compliments about someone's weight loss or thinner body perpetuate society's deep-seated diet culture, Tran said, and the idea that thinness is inherently good.
Dr Rodgers says, “Parents should avoid commenting on their children's weight or appearance: that includes criticism, teasing, or even 'positive' statements. They should avoid encouraging their children to diet, or suggesting they need to lose weight.
Go ahead and talk with your children about weight and encourage them to share their thoughts and feelings about body image whenever they arise.