Talking to children about their weight

YOUR child is beautiful, special and lovely and this has nothing to do with their weight, their size, their shape or their health.

It is really important to help your child not feel bad, sad or anxious about their size or shape. Remember to focus on and praise your child for the great things they do and are. Thank them for helping, notice when they handle a situation well, try to laugh at their jokes and help them to know they are loved and are always se-

... it is also important for your child to know that eating healthy food and exercising will provide a lot of benefits for them both now and in the future

cure. However, it is also important for your child to know that eating healthy food and exercising will provide a lot of benefits for them both now and in the future.

Make any changes a wholefamily exercise. There are things you can all do to be healthier such as emptying your fridge of sugary drinks and snacks, and changing to water and healthy snacks. As a family you can reduce the ‘ sometimes foods’ and if you support each other and all follow the changes this will be much more successful. Don’t single one family member out.

Talk about being healthy without any disparaging remarks about weight or shape. And be mindful not to make negative remarks about your own body shape either.

If your child is overweight they may have had negative remarks or bullying at school or other places. If this is the case help your child to talk to you about this when the time is safe for them and support them by building their self- esteem. Sometimes children ( and adults) eat not because they are hungry but because they are bored or sad or worried. Try to help them talk about how they feel, then you can help them develop strategies for managing some of these feelings that don’t involve overeating.

Remember will often not that children lose weight if they improve their diet, as they might stay at the same weight but become thinner as they continue to grow taller. Also fad diets from magazines or other sources are harmful for children ( and adults too) as they can encourage abnormal eating patterns and there is usually a rebound after the fad with the child ending up heavier than when they started.

If your child does have a problem in being overweight it is important to talk to them about this but do it in a way that is positive about them as a person and helps them to feel good about making some positive changes.

Talk about being healthy without any disparaging remarks about weight or shape