With Kids, Focus On Healthy Foods, Not Weight

So, you want to have the talk with your kids — about obesity. Over a third of U.S. kids are overweight or obese. Since obesity is now a disease, this conversation is especially important. A word of advice: Don't focus on weight. If you steer the conversation toward weight or size, kids are more likely to develop unhealthy eating habits, according to The Atlantic. Focus the conversation on healthy eating instead.

Kids whose parents talk to them about healthy eating rather than weight-related topics are less likely to diet to control their weight and more likely to develop unhealthy eating habits and disorders, a study found.

Conversations that focus on weight can mention anything about size, dieting, exercising, or losing weight. Anorexia, bulimia, fasting, and using laxatives and diet pills are all unhealthy behaviors that can result from the mention of anything to do with weight.

You can help your kids maintain a healthy weight by introducing them to healthy foods, not dieting.