Health and Fitness Information Center

Talking to your children about weight, Part 4

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• Weight Control

What are the consequences of not talking to my child about their weight?

-Don't tell your child that they are 'greedy' or 'lazy'. Do tell them that you recognize how hard it is to make healthy choices at times.

-Don't make your child feel guilty about their eating habits. Do praise them lavishly when you see them eating healthily.

-Don't tell your child that that they are not helping themselves. Do ask your child how you can help them eat more healthily.

-Don't scare your child into trying to lose weight. Do ask them what would be good about being less heavy.

-Don't moan about your own weight and how 'boring' being on a diet is. Do set a good example and do everything that you expect your child to do.

-Don't comment negatively about other people (friends, family, celebrities) who are overweight. Do point out those things that you consider nice about your child's appearance: their choice of clothes, their eyes, their hair, etc.

-Don't tell your child that they will only be happy at a normal weight. Do talk to your child about the positive effects of managing their weight.

-Don't tell your child that their weight is their fault. Do make sure that they understand that some people have a great deal more difficulty controlling their weight than others - life isn't fair, but perhaps in other ways they are lucky.

It's not what you say, it's the way that you say it.