The Secret to Talking to Teens (And All Kids) About Weight

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Forget pushy parents and peer pressure. The secret for teens who succeeded at losing weight, and keeping it off, according to new research: Making the choice to slim down for their own sake.

Of teens who lost an average of 30 pounds (and maintained it for a year), 60 percent say they were motivated by their own decision to focus on their health – according to 40 teens who participated in a small study conducted by researchers at Brigham Young University.

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So knowing this, how can parents help steer teens toward a healthy weight? Tread lightly, Kristi L. King, Senior Dietitian at Texas Children’s Hospital, who is not associated with this study, tells Yahoo Parenting.

“When you’re a teenager, and mom or dad harp on you to take the trash out or stop eating a particular food, you’re more likely to not do it,” she says. “Over restriction and helicoptering can cause kids and teens to sneak foods or binge on unhealthy foods at their friend’s houses.”

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According to the teens in the study, parents help the most simply by modeling healthy behaviors and providing more nutritious options for meals and snacks.

“Teens can help with meal planning, prep, and cooking. This includes cutting up fresh fruits and vegetables, so they are readily available, at eye level, in clear containers in the fridge,” says King. Other ideas include jars filled with mini rice cakes, low-fat crackers and air popped popcorn visible on countertops. Lemon or fruit-infused water is a subtle substitute for sugary juice drinks or soda.

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Still, impressing friends with a fit body isn’t exactly obsolete with 43 percent of teens in the study admitting that peer pressure drives them to trim down.

But peer pressure isn’t all bad. Friends can also lean on each other to model healthy behaviors. “Walking with their friend after school or holding each other accountable for no fast food or sugar-sweetened beverages is proven successful in a weight loss journey,” says King.

There are different ways to approach weight loss with kids of all ages.

In grade school, focus on making healthy eating and fitness fun. “Make time for family physical activity and encourage your child to pick out new healthy foods for the family to try together.” King tells Yahoo Parenting this is the time to set rules like filling half of the dinner plate with vegetables – but let kids determine what type of vegetables so they feel like they have a choice in the matter.

“Kids, no matter how old, learn from role modeling, so if parents include vegetables at each meal and hit the treadmill, young kids will likely adopt those habits as they become older,” says King.

As they become tweens and can grasp more complex ideas, try discussing how food connects to your health. “Many times, you can associate a loved one’s health condition like diabetes or heart disease and state ‘by eating healthy we can help prevent it,’” says King.

As kids begin high school or college, emphasize how these times can bring an opportunity for renewal.

“There were some periods, like a transition to high school or to college, where we saw groups of teens who lost weight in those important periods,” Chad Jensen, the study researcher and a psychologist at Brigham Young University (who was unavailable for comment to Yahoo Parenting), tells Science Daily. “It’s sort of an opportunity to re-make yourself. There’s a lot of change going on, so some teens decide to make a change to be healthier.”

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