Overcome Child Obesity

How do you help an overweight teen? The answer is the same way as you pick up a cactus – very carefully. The stereotype of the unreasonable moody teen was not invented, it was copied from life. Hopefully, your teen will not exhibit all the exasperating behaviours that other parents will warn you about, but the teenage years are a time when all parents must tread carefully to avoid accidental injury to their child’s sensitive emotions.

The teen years are a time when your child is most likely to experience problems with self-esteem; it is essential that you do not give your child any reason to question his/her self-worth. If your teenage child is overweight, and you want to help (as, of course, you will) subtlety is your key to success. The following three tips will help you to give your overweight teenager help without emotional bruising.

1. Accept your child for what he/she is

Of course you love and accept your child, but you need to demonstrate to your overweight teenager that he/she is accepted for the person he/she is. Never make your teen’s excess weight a big issue; treat it as a fact of life and deal with it without any song and dance.

Don’t be tempted to sit down with your overweight (or obese) teenager to discuss the problem and offer help and advice. Simply put the help into place by gradually introducing lifestyle changes such as healthier meals and increased activity.

2. Make subtle lifestyle changes

If your teen has reached the age where family outings are a punishment rather than a treat, you will need to use some subterfuge to get your teen to co-operate in taking more exercise. You could try asking your teen to help a younger sibling to improve at a sport. You could take up walking (ostensibly for the sake of your own health) and insist you need your teen to walk with you for company or support or protection. This type of ruse will make your teen feel valued, and give him/her improved feelings of self-worth as well as improved health.

3. Don’t put your overweight teen on a diet

The very mention of the word “diet” is enough to make most people feel instantly hungry. A weight loss diet (especially a faddy crash diet) should be avoided at all costs unless it is advised by a professional and medically supervised. Putting your overweight teen on a special diet while the rest of the family continues to eat “normally” will instantly highlight the fact that he/she is different.

Make subtle changes to the way the whole family eats by serving nourishing meals and cutting out fatty or sugary snacks and calorie laden fizzy drinks. If meals are satisfying and there is plenty of fresh fruit available, the family will hardly notice the absence of junk food. You can’t control your teen’s eating habits outside the home but, if the family develops a healthy attitude to food, eating habits will improve automatically.

How doyou help an overweight teenager?
The answer to helping a teen lose excessweight is to work behind the scenes without making a fuss. You can find some more tips to help overweight teens at Youth Fitness Solution