Senin, 02 Juli 2012

Parents fear talking to children about weight as they think it could give them an eating disorder

Parents fear talking to children about weight as they think it could give them an eating disorder

By Jenny Hope

PUBLISHED: 19:57 EST, 1 July 2012 | UPDATED: 02:05 EST, 2 July 2012

As many as two out of three parents fear that talking to their children about their weight will lead to them getting an eating disorder.

Some believe that discussing the issue will lower their children’s self-esteem, while others avoid it even if their offspring are fat, says a survey.

Experts warn that parents are wrongly estimating their children’s weight by looking at them rather than making a simple calculation that will show whether they are overweight or obese.

Avoiding confrontation: As many as two in five parents fear talking about weight to their children will lead to an eating disorder

Avoiding confrontation: As many as two in five parents fear talking about weight to their children will lead to an eating disorder

The findings come from a survey conducted by the healthy lifestyles organisation Mend (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition . . . Do it!) and the Netmums parenting website to mark National Childhood Obesity Week.

The latest figures from the schools child measurement programme show a third of 11-year-olds are overweight or obese â€" so fat it threatens their health.

The new survey reveals that two out of five parents fear that talking about weight to their offspring will lead to an eating disorder. This rises to two thirds of parents who say their child is overweight or obese.

More than a third of parents (37 per cent) feel that talking to their children about their weight might lower their self-esteem. Two in five parents have tried to do so, but almost half of those who had an overweight or obese child said it was an ‘unhelpful experience’ for the family.

Two thirds of parents want more support in talking to their children about weight, increasing to 85 per cent of those with fat children.

Almost three quarters of parents with overweight children said they found it difficult to help them stay healthy, mainly because they wanted to eat fatty and sugary foods.

Unspoken: More than half of parents with overweight children said they never talked to them about their weight

Unspoken: More than half of parents with overweight children said they never talked to them about their weight

Although they often talked to them about their eating habits â€" asking them to eat less junk food and more fruit and vegetables â€" more than half had never talked to them about their weight.

More than 1,000 parents with a child aged five to 16 responded to Netmums’ Let’s Talk About Weight survey, with one in six (15 per cent) reporting that their child was overweight.

A third of all parents identified their children’s weight by looking at them or comparing them with others their age, rather than measuring it or getting it confirmed by a doctor.

Research shows that ‘sizing up’ a child by sight alone often results in parents of fat youngsters wrongly believing they are a healthy weight.

Mend and Netmums are calling on more parents to find out if their child is a healthy weight by checking their Body Mass Index, a measurement that relates weight to height.

Children who have a high BMI and stay fat are mor e likely to have high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood insulin levels â€" all risk factors for heart disease â€" by the time they reach their mid-teens, say experts.

Paul Sacher of Mend said: ‘It can be very difficult for parents to tell if their child is a healthy weight or not simply by looking at them.

‘The easiest way to check is to measure their weight and height, then use an online BMI calculator (www.mendcentral.org).’

Siobhan Freegard of Netmums said that although discussions about weight might initially be tough, ‘the family talking together and working together to find healthier ways of eating will lead to happier and healthier children’.

Here's what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards.

The comments below have not been moderated.

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When I was in my teens I was 5' 4" and weighed 140 lb. My family and everyone I knew regarded me as fat. I covered up, didn't do a lot of the things I would have liked to have done because I feared ridicule. Nowadays a 28" waist is regarded as being relatively small. I deeply regret the opportunities I missed in my youth. If not talking about weight means one youngster doesn't put their life on hold then I'm all for it.

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Why are today's parents so pathetically weak and useless?

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So not talking about it and ignoring it is really going to help isn't it! IDIOTS. As for worried their children will suffer from loss of self esteem all I can say to that is that when the other children take the micky about how large your child is just think how low their self esteem is going to be because you wouldn't chat to your child about it in the first place.

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The trouble with the BMI system is it classes some youngsters as overweight when the official definition of 'overweight' (above the 85th percentile) is the right weight for their heavier build. Try reading up about it online, I guarantee you will be confused. Forget BMI, and take an honest look at your children. If they wobble when they run around they are carrying too much fat. In 'my day' the advice was to keep a child's weight steady and let them grow out of it, not to reduce weight as that's too drastic for children. That was good advice which I haven't see for a while.

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If they're fat I'm going to guess they already have some form of disordered eating; or at least encouraged into disordered over-eating. It works both ways.

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Why had bringing up children become so involved ... such a 'science'? My mum knew what was good for us. SHE organised our meals, insisted that we ate what was given to us. We did as we were told .... there was no 'family discussion' ..... we were CHILDREN - THE PARENTS were in charge and we knew it and, probably grudgingly, accepted it. We didn't have money to go and waste on rubbish food. Problem is nowadays that people try to make children into adults before they are ready .............. LET THEM BE KIDS FIRST. Do your job - take charge!

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Having these conversations with their children in fast food outlets does not help.

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Oh for gods sake! This is not rocket science. Let your kid overeat and take no excercise they will put on weight. Feed them healthy enough food and control the amount of rubbish they eat and they will be fine. How did our mothers and mothers' mothers manage.....

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Then talk about health and fitness and the problems associated with obesity. As they are children, let them know that it's never too late as it's easier to get fit when you're young than when they are your age! And do stuff together- and shopping doesn't count.

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I feel that people should not diet but instead place an emphasis on eating less food and eating good nourishing home cooked food rather than being preoccupied with weight. This means watching sugar intake in particular because it is added to so many foods to 'improve' flavour, but merely sets up a desire for more. Go back to basics.

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