In the first part of this blog, I gave you some background information about the impact of overweight and obesity on our society. Hopefully, that caused you to think about actions you can take to keep yourself and your family at a normal weight. And, yes, you can do it!!!
The following are some of the approaches we took as a family to develop good eating habits. You might get some good ideas from our approach.
When I became a mother, I did not want to raise children who had problems with their weight; I did not want to burden them with that. However, I did not want to cause my children to have eating disorders either. Discouraging snacking was a major cornerstone of our approach.
Here are some of the things we did to establish healthy eating patterns.
- We sat down at the table to a proper dinner almost every night, even with busy lives and during my medical school and residency days. We always had vegetables and a salad, and usually fresh fruit for dessert. We tried to set the table nicely so that it was a pleasure to come to the table.
- To encourage regular meals without snacking, after dinner, the kitchen was “closed.” If a child was hungry after dinner (perhaps because he or she did not like supper), they were not offered more food. I simply said, “Oh, the kitchen is closed!” I did not lecture on why they should not eat between meals or scold them because they did not eat their supper. Nor did I worry about them being hungry. I knew they would then be eager for breakfast.
- We did not stock potato chips, cookies, sodas, or other empty calorie snacks. (The added benefit of not doing so saved us money at the grocery check-out counter.) One way to discourage snacking is to say, “You won’t be hungry for your next meal.”
- If the children were thirsty, they were offered water, skim milk or orange juice. I found the teenagers were just as content with bottled water as they might have been with sodas.
- We did not use food as a pacifier, reward, or as a type of discipline (“If you are good, you will get a treat”), we did not eat in the car, and I did not keep snacks in my purse.
- We did not eat in front of the T.V., nowadays this would mean looking at cell phones, but we did encourage table-time conversation. These days, we do not have a T.V. When our grandchildren visit, they play games, do crafts, or go outside to play.
- My husband and I tried to set good examples by eating a wide variety of vegetables and fruits (high nutrient foods). We wanted to teach by example. One day, I asked my then four-year-old daughter, “What are your favorite vegetables?” Her answer astonished me, “artichokes and asparagus”!!! And, guess who likes those vegetables now – her children!
- Our children ate what we adults ate. If they did not like it, they knew they would not get a substitute. Selfishly, I did not want to become a short-order cook for them.
- We tried to keep our children physically active.
- We avoided talking about our weight,” going on a diet,” or weight loss. We encouraged good eating habits by discussing the good nutritional value of the foods they were eating.
- Both children were breastfed. The U.S. Institute of Medicine points out that rapid early weight gain before two years of age is associated with an increased rate of overweight in later childhood. Most excess weight gained before puberty is gained by five years of age. Breastfeeding is a supply and demand function (milk supply adjusts to the infant’s needs) so the baby is not overfed, as is possible with bottle feeding.
- It was also important that our children get regular and adequate sleep. Studies have shown that good sleep habits support normal weight.
These suggestions can be boiled down to being sure your children have:
- Healthy food with good variety along with regularly scheduled family meals.
- Adequate sleep.
- Increased physical activity and decreased screen time.
- Decreased or eliminated snacking and drinking of sweetened liquids, such as sodas, fruit drinks, and energy or sports drinks.
GOOD LUCK WITH YOUR EFFORTS!
FOOD TIPS: For Teens
- Teens want to experiment, breaking ties with their families while on their paths to becoming adults. They will want to do (and eat) what their peers do. Avoid criticizing them for doing this. Instead, guide their decisions.
- Try to make family mealtimes as healthy and memorable as you can, so teens, hopefully, will prefer to eat with the family rather than getting “fast food.”
- Adults need to serve as support systems and role models for teens by providing nourishing food and a supportive and empathetic environment.
- Include teens in meal planning and preparation; doing so keeps them involved and helps them learn about good nutrition, cooking techniques, and the great variety of foods available in today’s market.
