When parents put children on a diet: Why adult-style weight-loss plans can backfire

When parents decide to place their kids on a diet, it will usually always stem from a place of love. Naturally, as parents, they worry about the child’s health, well-being, and self-respect. The problem is, using an adult’s approach to weight loss and applying it to our growing children tends to do more harm than good. Knowing why these techniques shouldn’t be used on kids is the first step to achieving true well-being.

The biological makeup of children does not allow them to follow the same type of diet that would work for adults. This has to do with the difference in growth. The body of an adult has already finished developing, which makes it easier for calorie intake to affect the metabolism and fat storage of that individual. On the contrary, the body of a child needs to have the right nutrients constantly available to support its development of bones, brain functions, hormone production, and sudden growth spurs. By depriving a child of this, the parents put them at risk of deficiencies, reduced height, decreased bone density, and tiredness.

In addition to biological implications, the psychological damage of putting a child on a weight-loss diet becomes even more harmful and enduring. Childhood and adolescence become critical stages in forming a positive attitude toward one’s appearance and proper nutrition. The introduction of dietary restrictions turns food into something that is strictly divided into ‘good’ and ‘bad,’ or ‘guilty’ and ‘reward.’ Thus, the atmosphere of shame arises in connection with physiological needs. The scientific community proves that the children who were subjected to dietary restrictions in their childhood have a much greater tendency to experience binge eating disorder in the future, as well as various other eating disorders.

Adult dieting fails because it considers the problem of weight gain to be an isolated case of personal failure and not the symptom of a way of life and an environment. It is unrealistic to expect a ten-year-old to use his willpower when he is surrounded by others who indulge in junk food. The child simply learns from what he sees around him. Once weight becomes the only marker of health, the atmosphere at home changes from one of security to being judged and evaluated, thereby poisoning the parent-child relationship.

What then is the right attitude toward weight concerns on the part of the parents?

The solution can be found in forgetting all about losing weight, weighing oneself and body size, and returning the attention to the general well-being of the family. Wellness is not measured in numbers on the scale, least of all in children who change rapidly in terms of their body structure.

Forget calorie-counting; fill the pantry with nutrient-rich foods, provide a balanced meal, and leave it up to your child to determine what they need to eat based on their internal hunger cues. Encourage fun and carefree physical activities like running around outside, dancing, and cycling instead of viewing exercising as a necessary evil that must be done to get rid of excess calories. Above all, use neutral and positive language to talk about food and bodies. Through creating an atmosphere of nourishment, movement, and body acceptance, you can help raise healthy kids free from the pain of restrictive diets.

(The writer is a consultant - pediatrician and pediatric intensivist, Motherhood Hospitals, Banashankari, Bengaluru)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr Harshini Bhat

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