An Ounce of Prevention is Worth Pounds of Cure

One frustrating topic for parents, and myself as a Feeding Navigator, is weight.
Weight pre-occupation has become a social chronic disease!

This drifts down to our children. On the one hand, it seems that more and more children are growing faster in weight than height – that is, they are looking pudgier than others. Some parents worry and feel tempted to restrict their youngster’s feeding, worrying about all the facets and possible repercussions of overweight. On the other hand, children are following the lead of the nutritional gatekeepers in terms of their own attitudes about food, about restraint and about weight.

One reality is that fast gainers can be very healthy infants and children, growing according to their genetics. BC Children’s Hospital rarely finds distressing individual causes for rapid weight increases. It's even unclear whether heavy children later will become obese adolescents or adults. It is thought that one third of very heavy 1- 3 year olds may become obese adults but that means that two thirds won’t!

Another fact is that at least two things have happened over the last two decades. These directly reflect what is considered a crisis of overweight and obese families. Our environments tantalize us into using food. Snack foods are easy to find, are targeted and marketed in a sexy or trendy way and --- they are affordable. Foods are used as bribes or prompts or rewards and are one way that parents might show love and, indeed, re-visit one way that they were loved as children themselves.

A further thing that has happened is that people are stressed for time because of too many commitments and are out of touch with being in touch. Food and diets are used as a way of feeling in control but paradoxically put more stress on the dieter leading to on again/off again diet patterns.

Children copy adults. One study has found that many 9-12 year olds are dieting for acceptance and that this behaviour then brings on bouts of over eating or what we hear of as Yo-yo eating. Then, as parents try to help, that is seen as control by the parent and the child rebels, feels bad, becomes anxious – or all three.

It’s not so much weight that we need to be concerned with but it’s our collective attitudes, habits and environments that need re-shaping. It’s so much more than stressing over good-for-you foods and portion sizes! It’s about being comfortable with feeding and trusting that we, and our children, instinctively know how much is enough.

SOME TIPS:

  • Growth patterns tend to "run" in families. If we try to manipulate a growth blueprint, we could unwittingly be encouraging binge behaviour because of hunger or defiance.
  • Schedule regular mealtimes and offer breakfast every morning. It is interesting that many breakfast skippers learn their habits and they learn to ignore their hunger and essentially disconnect from a part of their body. Wouldn’t it be great to be able to donate a dollar for every time we hear someone say, “I’m never hungry in the morning!” How can we predict how hungry we will be tomorrow morning?
  • Some discipline to turn off the screens will pay off in the long run. All ages nowadays tend to sit in front of screens and on top of that to eat mindlessly while sitting.
  • Practice mindfulness. Mealtimes are not meant to be rushed. Slow down and eat slowly and enjoy the abundance we are blessed with.
  • Monitor words and actions. If children hear a parent worry about food, about whether there is enough or too much, he/she may also worry. If there are rules about eating , strong beliefs about ”good” and “bad” foods, the child may feel “good” or “bad” about feeding her/himself. If others are dissatisfied with their weight – all of these actions can impact a child’s attitude and definition of self.
  • Encourage our loved ones to express feelings appropriately and to talk about them. Numbing our feelings with feeding is a recipe for emotional jam.
  • If a child appears chubby, a Registered Dietitian or public health Nutritionist can empower parents, not for a weight loss (which would be inappropriate at that young age). A Dietitian can ensure that the child is not being pressured or restricted in his /her own natural eating. The purpose ultimately is to be sensitive to feelings of hunger and satisfaction and trust gut instinct.

  • Practice oral optimism.


“Preach not to others what they should eat,
but eat as becomes you and be silent.” ~ Epictetus (55 AD—135 AD)