Your Mind Your Body

A recent blog post from a pediatrician, which was also mentioned on the New York Times’ “Motherlode” blog, addressed the question“What do I do if my chubby kids say they are hungry?” Dr. Meeker raised some valid points in her post—what to do about your child eating too much food and why it’s important to set limits on screen time and provide easy access to healthy foods, among other things.

But Dr. Meeker may have provided some misguided recommendations when suggesting how to talk to children about their feelings of hunger. How we talk to our kids about hunger and help them understand it is not as simple as one may think. In fact, more harm than good might happen when people charge in and take total control over a child’s hunger without considering the child’s feelings, self-esteem or how the child thinks of herself.

Filed under: Children, Lifestyle & Behaviors, Parenting, Weight Issues | 4 Comments »

Family health is important! This sounds simple and obvious, right? If it was that simple, two-thirds of our population would not be considered overweight or obese. That number doesn’t include the people who weigh more than they would like or who feel uncomfortable about their bodies, eating habits and level of physical activity.

Filed under: Children, Lifestyle & Behaviors, Parenting, Weight Issues | 1 Comment »

Kids and parents tend to see the holidays as a time to overindulge in everything–gifts, alcohol and especially food. The temptations are particularly hard for children who have less impulse control and little knowledge of how to balance treats and a healthy lifestyle.

Filed under: Children, Lifestyle & Behaviors, Parenting, Weight Issues | 2 Comments »