Promoting Healthy Eating to Kids
Diet and weight loss information is often "negatively-charged". On the one hand, we hear constant reports telling us we're all too fat, and on the other hand we know that obsessive dieting is linked to eating disorders and other health issues.
How does this effect children? Fortunately one piece of research has found a healthy middle ground.
The University of Bath undertook a study of 330 schoolchildren between ages 13 and 18. Responding to a traditional obesity campaign, there was no difference in response between normal weight and overweight children.
However, when one group of children were asked to draw a picture of themselves the outcome was different.
Both groups were then shown advertising posters on having a healthy breakfast - one urging children to slim down, the other providing educational information about the benefits of eating well.The children who hadn't drawn a picture of themselves were less inclined to want to change.Three-quarters of the children who had been asked to draw pictures of themselves said they felt encouraged to eat more healthily and do more exercise after seeing the adverts. (BBC)
It's a small piece of research but says a lot about the issue of promoting healthy eating and objective reflection on your own body image.
I strongly believe we must promote this image of health and vitality - and how nutrition and diet plays a key role. Instead we constantly hear that our fat kids need to get thin... but don't get too thin because we don't like eating disorders.
I have a 16 year old daughter with a milk allergy (not lactose intolerance) who we've struggled with eating issues almost all her life. She is also "chubby"... I have found talking to her about losing weight is hurtful and affects her self-esteem negatively. I now concentrate on talking about being healthy. Whenever there's a teachable moment, I stress the healthiness of certain foods or activities. It seems to have taken a lot of the pressure off her. Since I'm also overweight, I try to walk the walk with her. I'm going to try the drawing exercise with her and see what happens (and draw myself too!)
ReplyWow, I never thought of it that way!! Eventhough I do not have children of my own yet, I believe I am one of those children (although not so young anymore)who need to sit down and do the drawing myself. At the same time, I am still trying to learn and practice 'intuitive eating' as opposed to the obssessive behaviour I used to display when it comes to food...
I try to cook more meals at home, and now that transfats are banned all over, what do you think would be a good substitute? I saw on www.palmoiltruthfoundation.com that palm oil is a good natural alternative since it is proposed to be healthy, rich in antioxidants, tocotrienols, coenxyme Q10 and all that jazz. Apparently, it's great for frying, since it has a neutral taste and even prevents artireole sclerosis and can help to boost our HDL (good cholesterol), etc - what do you think? It could be good for me AND the family...?
Replycyberhealth, as far as I know, palm and coconut oils are healthy, but frying is never healthy because once you heat oil as hot as you need for deep-frying, it becomes hard to digest and it can affect the stomach lining negatively (making you more likely to have ulcers). If you mean frying like sauteeing, then it is a great choice.
Replywell. if i were you i would start dieting. eating healthy, and excercing.
and if your kids are fat then your just screwed arent ya.
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