It is often a challenge for
parents to discuss weight-related issues with a teenager. Every parent wants
their child to have confidence, self-esteem and autonomy, yet many parents feel remiss if they do not discuss and counsel
their children regarding the long-term consequences of being overweight or
obese.
These questions resound across
America as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tell us that 28
percent of adolescents are overweight. New research suggests creating a
healthful home environment, modeling healthful behaviors, and providing
encouragement and support to adolescents for positive behavior changes may be
more effective than communicating with adolescents about weight-related topics.
Study results are found in the Journal
of Nutrition Education and Behavior.
Overweight and obese adolescents
have an increased risk for physical comorbidities, including type 2 diabetes
and negative psychosocial consequences stemming from the stigma associated with
being overweight. That’s according to the Committee on Prevention of Obesity in
Children and Youth, part of the Institute of Medicine, the health arm of
the National Academy of Sciences. Given the significant escalation of childhood
obesity, parents need guidelines for dealing with adolescents during this pivot
period of life development.
Indeed, considering the
challenges associated with parenting
adolescents in general, and to identify potential targets for interventions, it
is important to recognize issues faced specifically by parents of overweight
adolescents. In the new study, investigators from the University of Minnesota
posed two questions: (1) what issues do parents of overweight adolescents face?
and (2) what advice do parents of overweight adolescents have for other
parents?
To begin to answer these
questions, researchers surveyed 27 adolescents and their parents to determine
factors contributing to successful weight loss among adolescents. The
investigators found that the issues raised by parents included difficulties
encountered in effectively communicating with their adolescent about
weight-related topics, perceived inability to control the adolescent’s
decisions about eating and physical activity, concern for the adolescent’s
physical and mental well-being, and feelings of personal responsibility for the
adolescent’s weight issues.
Parental advice for helping
overweight adolescents included having a healthful home environment, modeling
healthful behaviors, and providing encouragement and support to adolescents for
positive behavior changes. Researcher Shira Feldman, M.P.H., R.D., said,
“Parents have an important role in helping their children and adolescents to
adopt healthful behaviors and it can be challenging to know how to involve parents
in interventions for adolescents because of issues related to developing
autonomy and increasing independence. “Parents of overweight and obese
adolescents often find themselves in a dilemma. On one hand, parents may be
concerned about their adolescent’s health, the psychosocial stigmas, and the
negative physical consequences associated with being overweight or obese. On
the other hand, parents also recognize their adolescent’s need for autonomy.
Thus, parents may struggle with what to say or do to best help their adolescent
manage his or her weight.”
What is the bottom line for
parents when talking with their overweight teen? According to Kerri Boutelle,
Ph.D., professor of pediatrics and psychiatry and lead investigator, “In terms
of ‘talking’ about adopting more healthful eating and physical activity
behaviors, it is important for parents to remember that their adolescent could
have a negative emotional response, for example sad or angry, when questioned
about their weight. “In the current study, and in other studies, parents were
aware of the psychosocial effects of being overweight.” “Therefore, exploring
other methods of addressing weight issues besides just focusing on weight loss
may be needed when working with adolescents, such as being fit and physically
active, or eating for health.”
Source: Psych Central
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