Children & Weight Loss: Behavior Modification

The component of behavior modification is somewhat different from the others but key for long term weight loss in children. It uncovers that internal mechanism that propels us to reach our goals, even if they seem unreachable. Losing weight, beginning a new way of living and eating healthy are not easy tasks, not for you and not for your children. I can testify to that fact. I have experienced the painful reality of being an obese child and adolescent, the fear to face my classmates day after day, the wish to hide from everyone, and finally the cruel realization that you cannot ignore the obvious. I was feeling huge outside and very small inside.

I know how difficult it is to see your child smiling day after day while knowing how much he is hurting inside. You may observe your child being lonely and silent, knowing how much he wants to be part of the group and how much he has to say. Yet, you and your family have risen to the challenge! You have decided to redefine what being healthy is all about. Will the task be difficult? Maybe. Can you make it? Of course you can!

Learn more about a complete weight management program for children and teens.

A healthy family is a family where:

• Rules and consequences are clear and appropriate.
• The family is number one on the list!
• All its members feel respected and differences are honored.
• Healthy humor is an essential part of family living.
• All its members enjoy being together and supporting each other.
• All its members know how to listen and how to communicate.
• The members know when they are in crisis and ask for help.
• Faith and family values are essential.
• There are always goals and dreams to be reached

Ways to help develop your child's self-esteem:

• When the report card comes, pay attention to the As and Bs and leave the Cs, Ds and Fs to the end.
• Let him know that making mistakes is part of learning.
• Thank him for helping you around the house.
• Tell her how well she looks in that dress that she was not able to wear in the past.
• Let him know how much you love him.

The four magic steps.

1. Stop!
2. Think! Is what you are feeling hunger? Could it be boredom, sadness, anxiety, and frustration? Is there something different that you could do such as calling a friend, going for a walk, writing in your journal?
3. Think again! This time, visualize a ladder with 10 steps, each one representing how hungry you are. The first few steps mean that you are not that hungry and you should not eat. The latter ones mean that you are starving and you might eat an entire cow! Steps 5 to 7 mean that you are ready to eat a healthy and normal portion!
4. GO!

A few words about your teen.
It does not seem like it, but teenagers need a great deal of attention, maybe even more than the other children at home. They need a different kind of attention; a subtle one, a more indirect one, but the type of attention that helps them make good choices. In an effort to look perfect, many teens adopt very dangerous diets with no knowledge of their nutritional value.

The last words are also for you mom and dad, because you have the most difficult and magnificent job there is, being a parent. You are the mentor. You teach respect. You teach how to believe in dreams, how to create a future. You are the role model "par excellence"! Your family's healthy life marathon begins now, and it begins with you because in your children's eyes EVERYTHING begins with you.

Learn more about a complete weight management program for children and teens.