| Do you find yourself stuck when trying to help | | | | for your own physical imperfections? Kids are |
| your children lose weight? Or worse, do you feel | | | | sharp listeners and they will pick up on what you |
| helpless as they gain weight? Are you doing all the | | | | are saying in ways you probably did not intend |
| "right" things, but your child is still gaining weight? | | | | them to. Instead of nagging, try inspiring your |
| Does it seem like whatever you say or do | | | | child. For example, if your child wants to be a |
| doesn't work - they just don't listen to you? Do | | | | baseball player when he grows up, buy him a bat, |
| you feel like you keep trying to get your family | | | | some balls and a baseball glove. Take him outside |
| to change their behaviors but nothing has lasting | | | | a few times a week and practice baseball skills |
| results? If you can identify with these feelings | | | | with him. The exercise you get together will help |
| you are probably wondering what you can do to | | | | inspire him to reach his goals and see the role |
| make things better. One of the most important | | | | losing weight might play in achieving them. This |
| first steps you can take is to examine what you | | | | works far better than nagging ever will. |
| are saying and doing that could be adding to your | | | | Interrogate: Take a hard look at the questions |
| child's weight struggles. In our experience working | | | | you ask your child. Avoid the temptation to put |
| with families coping with weight issues, we have | | | | him or her on the spot by asking, "Do you really |
| found that it is common for parents to send | | | | need to eat that, honey?" Consider asking a |
| well-intentioned but wrong-headed messages to | | | | different set of questions that focus instead on |
| their offspring. You may be doing this if you: Put | | | | really getting to know your child and making it |
| your child on a diet: It seems logical to encourage | | | | clear to him or her that your love is not |
| an overweight child to diet, but did you know that | | | | dependent on the numbers on the family scale. |
| research shows that for the majority of children | | | | Your child wants to connect with you and be |
| and adolescents, diets cause them to gain weight? | | | | heard. The very act of listening to your son or |
| It's true. Dieting can lead children to binge eating, | | | | daughter and acknowledging that child's dreams, |
| emotional eating and weight gain. There are | | | | hopes and desires decreases stress, increases |
| non-diet approaches to weight loss that will work | | | | self-esteem and boosts overall happiness levels. If |
| much better over the long run. Impose a lot of | | | | you recognized some of your behaviors in this |
| rules: Have you ever found yourself saying, "You | | | | story, don't feel guilty. We all make mistakes that |
| can have sweets but only on special occasions?" | | | | we can learn from. When you find yourself |
| Or "you must eat your vegetables at dinner" or | | | | resorting to old bad habits, simply resolve to let |
| "if you put it on your plate, you have to eat it." | | | | them go. Your child will be grateful. Marna |
| Households in which there are a lot of food rules | | | | Goldstein and Kim Hiatt regularly speak about |
| tend to be households with overweight kids who | | | | issues relating to childhood obesity and secrets |
| constantly think about eating and look for the | | | | thin families know about weight control. Both |
| opportunity to "break the rules" when they are at | | | | women have successfully overcome their own |
| school or out with their friends. In addition, the | | | | weight-loss difficulties. Goldstein and Hiatt are |
| more you attempt to enforce these food rules | | | | co-owners of Goldstein is the author of Naturally |
| the less likely your child is to listen to his or her | | | | Thin Secrets. Hiatt is an adjunct professor of |
| own internal cues - cues that tell a person when | | | | psychology at Southwestern College who recently |
| to stop eating because they are full. Nag: If you | | | | earned her Ph.D. Her doctorate dissertation was |
| are constantly bugging your child to eat less or | | | | on childhood obesity. |
| watch what he or she eats, you aren't doing your | | | | Visit to sign up for a free newsletter and |
| child any favors. The same holds true if you | | | | immediately receive three free audio CDs. You |
| frequently talk about your own weight issues. | | | | can also learn more about their "Naturally Thin |
| Listen closely to your own conversation. Are you | | | | Families Reveal Their Secrets" teleseminar, which |
| pointing out other overweight people that you see | | | | begins August 21. |
| in a negative way? Do you chide yourself out loud | | | | |