Mother/Infant/Child | Articles
Parents may be doing more harm than good by putting their overweight children on a diet. According to findings published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders, dieting can backfire for some obese children. The dieting sets off an unhealthy preoccupation with weight and eating, a precursor to eating disorders.
Researchers found that among obese adolescents, some of those who had tried dieting eventually developed a preoccupation with weight loss and admitted they had a habit of overeating or bingeing, which means overeating with a feeling of being out of control.
Study results suggests that for some obese children, there’s a “problematic pathway” in which diet attempts lead to a preoccupation with weight and eating, which in turn lead to eating disorders.
However, this doesn’t mean that parents should let obese children eat whatever they want. Study co-author Dr. Caroline Braet states that it is better to address children’s weight problems with regular, balanced meals, limits on snacking and regular physical activity. The goal should be to stabilize their weight with healthy eating rather than trying to get kids to shed pounds with a restrictive diet.
SOURCE: International Journal of Eating Disorders, December 2006.
I couldn’t have said it better. It is good to see a research article that is aimed at the right thing, and hits the target. Parents: to help your kids, you must lead them yourselves, if you are not willing to lead, then they will end feeling like you do and may have the same conditions as you suffer or may suffer in the future. It is up to you. Pick up one of our recommended books and get started!
God Bless,
Dr. Benzinger
