One of the main challenges parents of teens face is ensuring their children have a healthy body image. The diet culture often dominates pop culture and social media, despite the rising body acceptance and body positivity movements.
In 2020, a JAMA Pediatrics study found teens today are more concerned with losing weight than ever before. What should parents do when a teenager asks to go on a diet?
Weight loss can be harmful to any teenager. Experts say your teenager shouldn’t diet, no matter their weight. If teens say they struggle to feel good about themselves and their bodies, parents can still help them.
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Encourage teens to maintain healthy behaviors to combat physical health issues. It can also prevent a teen from developing an eating disorder, which dieting increases. The director of clinical outreach, Samantha DeCaro, states that teens are influenced by the diet and fitness industry to diet, but parents shouldn’t encourage dieting behavior.
She said, “Most people in eating disorder recovery will say that their eating disorder was triggered when they started eating. Dieting is one of the most dangerous behaviors in the DSM-V, second only to opioid use disorder.”
A diet does not work for long-term weight loss, resulting in a frustrating cycle that will only harm one’s relationship with food and the body. Parents can teach their children healthy lifestyle choices and help them feel better about their bodies. The focus should be on health rather than weight loss.
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While many pediatricians will not prescribe weight loss for health, DeCaro urges parents to act as their teens’ advocates if their doctors recommend weight loss.
She said, “It is essential that parents seek out doctors and mental health providers who are size-inclusive and understand that weight isn’t an accurate measure of health.”
Parents shouldn’t be afraid to advocate for their kids, said Lauren Smolar, vice president of mission and education. If your teen insists they need to lose weight, it’s essential to talk with them about their motives.