Fat focus harming kids
Parents‘ diet obsession driving children to eating disorders
IMAGE obsessed Gold Coast parents who moan about their bikini body in front of their kids are contributing to the rise in childhood eating disorders, according to health and fitness experts.
Comments about flabby thighs and taking up the latest weight loss fad don’t go unnoticed by children who may then implement their own version of a diet in a bid to “perfect” their little bodies.
Former ironwoman and accredited nutrition and health coach Karla Gilbert said she wanted parents to instead model positive eating habits and promote exercise.
“Kids only know and learn what is modelled to them so it’s very important we are mindful of the language we use when we are speaking about ourselves and the food we eat,” Ms Gilbert said.
“If all they see is their mother going on a different diet and saying that she’s fat, that’s what they’re absorbing.
“If we aren’t happy with a part of our body we don’t need to tell our kids. We can keep it to ourselves.
“Don’t focus on shortterm fixes like diets and boot camps and five-day juice cleanses. It’s all about how we portray ourselves in front of our children.”
Ms Gilbert’s comments follow a Bulletin report yesterday revealing high-achieving children as young as nine were being admitted with eating disorders to Gold Coast University Hospital as they cave to anxiety and their weight drops dangerously low.
The children often need feeding through a tube. Experts say physical symptoms can be treated quickly but mental issues – particularly anorexia – can take months or years to overcome.
“They come from good families, can excel academically and be gifted in music, sport and drama,” said paediatrician and Bond University professor Peter Jones. “But on the inside, these children are crying out for help.”
Hannah Niven, a practising dietitian at My Nutrition Clinic, Robina, said it was vital for parents to set the right example as eating habits formed in childhood remained for life.
She said creating rituals such as eating dinner together were important but so was how families talk about the food they’re eating. “Avoid labelling foods. Saying that vegetables are good and ice cream is bad is really unhelpful because I think all foods can form part of a balanced diet,” Ms Niven said.
“Instead, I think it’s important to convey foods have different purposes. We eat carbohydrates because they give us energy and protein because it makes us feel full and the ice cream, we eat that because it tastes good but we don’t eat too much of it because it doesn’t have many nutrients in it to power our bodies.”
Ms Niven said many of her clients spoke about their bodies negatively and it was vital people of all ages started turning the conversation around.
“Don’t put down your own body or the ones you see on the street or depicted in the media,” Ms Niven said.
“I think it’s important to describe the function of your body rather than how it looks. For example, I have clients who complain about their thighs and I say, ‘Well what do your thighs help you do?’
“Without our thighs we couldn’t walk or run or ride horses or do any number of other things we enjoy.”