Teen Weight Loss : Healthy Habits Count.

Teen Weight Loss : Healthy Habits Count.~Help your teen adopt healthy habits to lose excess weight.

Life is too short to be fat

Teenage obesity is a dangerous and growing problem. Like any weight – loss challenge, there’s no magic bullet for teen weight loss. Still, there’s plenty you can do to help. Start by encouraging your teen to adopt healthy habits that can last a lifetime. 

HAVE A HEART-TO-HEART TALK

heart to heart talk

If your teen is overweight, he or she is probably concerned about the excess weight, too. Aside from lifelong health risks such as high blood pressure and diabetes, the social and emotional fallout of being overweight can be devastating for a teenager. It can also be frustrating to attempt weight loss and have poor results. Offer support and gentle understanding, and a willingness to help your teen manage the problem. You might say, “ I can’t change your weight but I can help you make the right decisions.” 

DISPUTE UNREALISTIC IMAGES

Weight and body image can be delicate issues, especially for teenage girls. When it comes to teen weight loss, remind your teen that there’s no single ideal weight and no perfect body. The right weight for one person might not be the right weight for another. Rather than talking about “fat” and “thin”, encourage your teen to focus on practicing the behaviours that promote a healthy weight. Your family doctor can help set realistic goals for body mass index and weight based on your teen’s age, height and general health.

RESIST QUICK FIXES

Help your teen understand that losing weight and keeping it off is a lifetime commitment. Fad diets may rob your growing teen of iron, calcium, and other essential nutrients. Weight – loss pills and other quick fixes don’t address the root of the problem and could pose risks of their own. Even then, the effects are often short – lived. Without a permanent change in habits, any lost weight is likely to return. 

PROMOTE ACTIVITY

walk to school

Teens need about 60 minutes of physical activity a day but that doesn’t necessarily mean 60 solid minutes at a stretch. Shorter, repeated bursts of activity during the day can help burn calories, too. In fact, any physical activity counts. Getting involved in sports through school or community programs are great ways to get active. If your teen isn’t an athlete or is hesitant to participate in certain sports, that’s fine. Encourage him or her to walk or cycle to school, or to walk a few laps through the halls before class. Suggest trading an hour or after – school TV –time for some physical activities.

Source : Nature and Health