Talking to Your Teen About Obesity

A huge percentage of people with obesity is made up of teenagers which is quite alarming since this are the years which people are considered to be physically active. For parents who have teenagers, it is important to help them prevent obesity. Teach and encourage them to live a healthy lifestyle and practice healthy eating habits. Talk to them so they will understand why it is important to be healthy and advise them the proper ways to achieve it.

Allot time to sit down and talk with your teenagers. If your family has history of diabetes, heart disease and stroke, maintaining an ideal weight and healthy body is an essential way of prevention. Talk to them about the benefits of having a healthy lifestyle. For teenagers who are already overweight or obese, they may have worries and concerns too. Take time to address to each of their concerns and be honest in answering their questions. Do not tell your teenager hat he or she is not fat just to save her self-esteem. Give honest answers; avoid false hopes, but offer support instead.

The power and influence of media over teenagers can really be frustrating at times, especially when it sends a negative message. People seen on television and magazines can sometimes send out the wrong message especially on how teenagers should be physically attractive and how they should look at themselves. The tendency of teenagers, especially females, is to compare themselves with the celebrities that they find attractive. Sometimes, when they cannot get the body figure that they want to have, they become depressed and disappointed at themselves. Inform them that the ideal body weight and body figure varies from person to person. Being healthy does not mean being skinny. Instead of focusing on how skinny models and celebrities are, divert their attention to activities which promote healthy eating habits.

Encourage them to have as much physical activity as they can. Joining extracurricular activities and sports in school can be very beneficial. Not only do they have the chance of losing extra weight, they also develop a sense of discipline and have an improved sense of self. If they do not have interest in sports activities, persuade them to have regular exercise instead. Jogging, running or swimming for an hour can give favorable results. Physical activities need to be done constantly and not sporadically since teenagers have the tendency to be lazy sometimes or busy with school work. Help them create a schedule which will enable them to balance everything.

Steer your teens away from diet pills, fad diets and slimming teas. The best way to lose weight is by doing it the right way. Inform them of the dangers they can face upon using instant ways of losing weight. Some die pills are not regulated by drug authorities and can have adverse reactions which are life-threatening. Some popular fad diets cut down on some food groups which are needed by the body in order to have the nourishment it requires. Slimming teas can have serious effects such as dehydration. There is no overnight solution for being healthy.

Pack their meals with fruits, vegetables, dietary fiber and always remind them to drink as much water as they can. This will help them cut down on weight but not on the nutrients that their body will need to keep going.

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