In the News
Canadian children - worth their weight.
Horror stories of obese children developing type 2 diabetes - formerly called Adult Onset Diabetes - abound in the press today. These are chased closely by stories of concern for increased risks of cardiac disease in Canadian children. We can't turn around without fat being blamed for all our health woes. And without weight management being touted as the solution to almost every health risk known to humankind.
"Dieting is generally the first step towards developing an eating disorder. Eating disorders are the third most chronic adolescent health problem today. And they kill " says Merryl Bear, director of the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (www.nedic.ca). This is why Bear worries about weight-loss and dieting being seen as the only and the best solution to the increasing girth of Canadian children. "Healthy people come in many sizes, and being slender does not automatically confer good health".
Statistics over the last twenty years repeatedly show that individuals who go on weight loss diets are likely to regain any lost weight - and sometimes pack on more fat. A recent study by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital, Boston, found that not only were child and adolescent dieters more likely to binge-eat, but three years later, both girls and boys who dieted had gained more weight than non-dieters. The authors of the study conclude that "dieting to control weight is not only ineffective, it may actually promote weight gain".
Similar concerns about the overall wellbeing of Canadian children are expressed by the National Eating Disorder Information Centre (NEDIC) and other agencies such as Dieticians of Canada and the Canadian Paediatric Society in their websites.
Without minimizing the concerns of what being fat can mean to an individual, both in terms of their physical and mental health, Bear contends that the time has come to turn away from scare-mongering. "We need to be the weight that is best for us, and that is determined by our genetics and our metabolism, with lifestyle playing a supportive role".
As a society, and as caregivers, we need to "Tap into children's inherent desire to be active, and creative" suggests Bear. "Encouraging behaviours which support health is as easy as ABC: sustainable physical Activity; Balanced eating and Care of our emotional, physical and spiritual needs."
Helping children grow up healthy
- Don't make comments about anyone's size or weight, especially as a "joke"
- Make sure that your child knows that you love them regardless of their size or weight
- Treat fat and thin children equally well
- Build self-confidence and self-esteem through a range of activities, both physical and non-physical
- Build good self-esteem in all children for who they are and what they do, not how they look
- Feel proud of your child, regardless of their size or weight
- Be creative and assertive in finding the right clothing and equipment for your child
- Encourage healthy eating and physical activity for the entire family
- Don't feel guilty or ashamed if your or your child are fat
For more information see www.nedic.ca and www.canadian-health-network.ca or contact Merryl Bear, Director at merryl.bear@uhn.on.ca or 416-340-4188