At a time when kids are maturing emotionally and physically, it's important to set up good nutrition habits for the future.
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The issue of child weight loss has gotten a lot of attention recently. When Dara-Lynn Weiss wrote in Vogue magazine about the dramatic (some might say Draconian) methods she used to help her seven-year old daughter lose weight, the media and the public jumped on her. Denying her daughter "reproachfully" of dinner one night after hearing what she'd eaten during a school celebration, was one of the admissions that sparked the backlash.
When her daughter's physician told Weiss that her daughter, at 4'4" and 93 pounds, was clinically obese at six years old, she knew she had to take action. Few readers were outraged that a mother would step in to help her daughter become a healthier weight; what sparked controversy were the methods Weiss used, such as snatching hot chocolate from her daughter and pouring it out after a barista was unable to give a calorie count for the beverage. (For the record, her daughter did achieve a healthy weight by age 8.)
The article struck a chord and not just because of the controversy it sparked. It raised an important issue. Parents find themselves in a difficult and confusing position when they are told their child needs to lose weight because he or she is clinically overweight or obese. The health risks to kids, especially when considered over the course of their lives, are enormous. Serious overweight in children contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol.
Child Weight Loss Is a Delicate Issue
Weight loss in children is tricky for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that they are still growing and need to have a solid nutritional foundation to maintain that growth.
Being overweight is a psychologically loaded issue for a child (as for anyone else): Self-esteem, self-worth, and popularity can be wrapped up in it, so it's especially important to come at the weight loss endeavor as productively and positively as possible.
Here is some of the best-supported advice for parents who are trying to help their children lose weight. The bottom line: The focus should always be on health, and on making the experience as positive and rewarding - and as anxiety-free - as possible.
Be Sure Weight Loss is Necessary
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How to Help Your Children Maintain a Healthy Weight
