Eating disorder prevention starts at home. How to promote healthy habits in teens.

Health care providers are conditioned to identify individuals who are above average weight. Like a broken record, we tell our patients: Exercise more. “

Obesity can lead to serious complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease, and can shorten your life. And the disease is increasingly affecting teens, who spend most of their lives with chronic health conditions that previously didn’t develop until later in life. I’m supposed to stay.

But an often-overlooked unintended consequence of our overzealous efforts to reduce the risk of obesity is eating disorders.

Eating disorders can occur when people have to lose weight and are not given the right tools and support to do so safely. Eating disorders are one of the deadliest mental illnesses, second only to opioid addiction. Obesity can be fatal in the future, but eating disorders can be fatal today.

Social media is the obvious bad guy. Teens are finding it easier than ever to find idealistic, unrealistic representations of who they think they should be, and to compare their photos to others. increase.

Harmful messages, however, often come from close quarters.

” read more: Do Eating Disorders Cause Palpitations? A medical mystery for teenagers reveals the dangers of talking about weight.

In Nemours’ Eating Disorder Assessment and Management Program, teenage patients identified the onset of an eating disorder in moments such as “My doctor told me I was overweight” or “My family said I was chubby.” often do.

Promoting healthy behavior is important and obesity should not be ignored. However, when working with teens, special consideration should be given to word choice.

Health care workers, families, and others who work with young people should exercise caution. Here’s some advice on what to say and what not to say if you’re worried about your teen’s weight.

stop it Comment on their weight and eating behavior. “Weight talk” can actually lead to unhealthy behaviors such as skipping meals, fasting, elimination, and over-exercising. Avoid negative comments about your weight.

do Pay attention to your child’s mental health. Does your child like to express emotions? When dealing with stress, consciously or unconsciously, people may turn to food for comfort. Getting started with psychotherapy to help with stress and coping should be seen as a strength, not a weakness.

stop it Make fun of what and how much they eat. Adolescent teasing is associated with unhealthy weight management behaviors and bulimia in adults.

do We’re talking about the portion sizes listed on food labels. People tend to eat what’s on their plate, so larger portions burn more calories. Encourage intuitive eating. In other words, you trust your body to eat when you’re hungry and stop when you’re full. Always encourage three meals a day. Skipping meals often leads to overeating later.

stop it Using derogatory terms such as “overweight” or “obesity”. “Fat shaming” (weight stigma and discrimination) is pervasive in our society and can lead to not only weight gain and eating disorders, but also depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.

do Please consult your child’s doctor and ask them to avoid these labels as well.

stop it Encourage them to weigh themselves regularly. You should focus on your health, not the number on the scale. Increased frequency of weighing during high school can harm teens’ self-esteem and psychological health. If necessary, dispose of your home scale.

do Tell them you are beautiful inside and out, regardless of the number on the scale. Because they are definitely beautiful. Commenting on their strengths and positive attributes can help promote a positive body image.

stop it Encourage dieting. Half of teenage girls and one in four teenage boys have tried dieting. Dieting teens experience lower self-esteem, less connection with family and school, and a feeling of less control over their lives. Diet is a risk factor for both obesity and eating disorders. Changing food choices is different than dieting.

do Take your teen grocery shopping and teach them how to choose foods for a balanced diet. Instead of labeling foods as “good” or “bad,” teach your children how all foods fit into a healthy diet.

A few more tips

eat. family. meal. Children and adolescents who eat with their family three or more times a week are more likely to be of normal weight and have healthier eating habits. Family meals help develop balanced eating habits and foster communication.

Encourage “meaningful movement” and physical activity for enjoyment, not as a means of weight loss. Regardless of their weight, adolescents should get 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day. want to help? Have fun and do it together (yes, you). It’s not all or nothing, even 10 minutes matter.

These changes will benefit the whole family. After all, what is good for geese is also good for gander.

Rima Himmelstein is an adolescent medicine specialist at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Delaware.