Safety 101: Dieting and Children Don't Mix

Even with a growing obesity problem among our youth, I strongly urge you not to put your child on a diet.  Dieticians and Medical Doctors all over the world are advising against putting children on a diet even if they fall into the obese category.  The reasons are clear.  Dieting and growing children are a very bad mix.  A growing body needs a rich and well balanced diet to maintain proper growth.  In addition, diets just don't work.  Think back on all the diets that you have been on in your life, or if you are lucky enough not to struggle with a weight issue look to your friends and their fad dieting.  Dieting usually equates to initial weight loss but I venture to bet that most of that weight goes right back on after the dieting stops.  Check that. people usually gain back more than they lost to begin with.

Having a child with Crohn's Disease has got our whole faamily to rethink the way we eat.  The recent catch phrase when it comes to dietary health has become "Living a Healthy Lifestyle".  No dieting involved in changing to a healthy lifestyle.  The weight may come off much slower but it stays off as long as the lifestyle is something you can live with.  Some of the things my family has done to change to a healthier diet are: eating whole grains instead of things made with white flour. cutting way back on the amount of sugar that we eat and using fresh rather than processed foods.  Some of these changes take some time to get use to but it has been well worth it with regard to my son's health and my health as well.  My asthma attacks have decreased significantly since starting this lifestyle change (note that I didn't use the word diet here),  A fifteen pound weight loss over three years is not incredible but I have managed to keep it off and am continuing to lose weight.

Do I miss hot from the deli french bread, most definitely yes!  I do allow myself to have this guilty pleasure along with ice cream every so often.  Denying yourself something is not the way to go.  Start slow. Replacing a few things at a time is the best way to make a lifestyle change.  When people come to our house for dinner, no one even notices that 100% whole wheat pasta is under that delicious sauce or that I used greek yogurt in the dip instead of sour cream..  Another little tip is that wild fish is much better than the farm raised version.  Most of the fish that you get at the fish counter is farmed raised, whereas most of the frozen fish is wild.  Read the labels before you buy it to make sure you are getting the best healthwise for your family because fish tastes pretty much the same whether it was farm raised or wild.

The Workout Kid...Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Exercise When It Comes to Our Children

Is there such a thing as too much exercise when it comes to our children? A news report that I heard this morning got me thinking about that very question. A ten year old who has been referred to as "the Workout Kid" seems to be taking the obesity problem of our children as his mission. Is it okay for a ten year old to have a six pack and workout for up to six hours a day? He seems to be taking a sensible stance to his health and well-being by eating right and exercising, as well as motivating other children to do the same. I think that he is walking a fine line, that many children cross every day. I don't think there is anything wrong with our children eating right and exercising, actually there is probably everything right about that. Things get out of hand when our children start going on fad diets, or diets at all, to lose weight and exercise or participate in sports to the point where they are injuring their body.

As a parent, I hope you encourage your children to stay fit while still maintaining a well rounded life. It appears to me that that is exactly what the parents of "the workout kid" are doing. Hats off to them and good luck to him in his mission to help other children get into shape.

Maggie Goes on a Diet...A Few More Thoughts

As someone who has been teaching children about bully prevention, I am concerned over the fact that the book, Maggie Goes on a Diet, sends the message to children that people who are skinny don't get bullied and that they make friends easier than their heavier counterparts. I think that it is important to let your children know that this is not true. Heavy or skinny, some children just make friends easily. It's part of their make-up and has nothing to do with their weight. All children fall victim to being bullied at some time in their life. It is important to teach your child some techniques to better deal with bullying behavior, and losing weight isn't one of them. Check out the series that I did on bully prevention to obtain some ideas on helping your child with this problem.

If this book does make it to the bookstores or e-reader list, I hope you will think twice about getting it for your child.