Weight Loss for Teens

From LoveToKnow Diet

Dealing with weight loss for teens can be a tricky proposition. Teens are often struggling with the hormonal and physical changes of puberty, and the resulting emotional fragility can make it seem a daunting task to deal with a weight problem. But teens have an advantage over older people -- their youth makes them more resilient and better able to adapt to the changes needed to achieve a healthy weight.

Addressing The Problem

Extreme care must be taken in approaching weight issues among this age group. If a teen feels ridiculed, belittled, judged, or pressured into dealing with a problem, his or her most likely reaction will be rejection, anger, and avoidance of the problem. It may be helpful to enlist the intervention of the family physician. The advise from an objective outsider, like a physician or similar medical professional, often allows the teen to accept the help more readily than from a parent or teacher. The social situation should be monitored. Teens who are rejected or ridiculed by their peers because of a weight problem may develop depression -- and a side effect of depression is weight gain.

Health Considerations

It is important to remember that teens, because their bodies are still growing and developing, require ample amounts of food with carefully balanced portions of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Teens should not follow extreme low-fat or low-carb diets unless recommended and supervised by a physician. Before a teen begins any diet program, he or she should have a complete physical examination to rule out any health conditions and to establish a baseline for measuring progress toward health.

Nutrition For Teens

Teenagers should be taught two things about diet: good nutrition involves wise choices, and health is a cumulative result of all the good or bad choices that one makes. Teens should be instructed in making good nutritional choices, while allowing themselves an occasional "deviation" when a special occasion warrants it. Of primary importance is an understanding that fad diets, crash diets, and radical lifestyle changes may do more harm than good in the long run.

Dealing with weight loss for teens will be easier if you teach them to choose whole grains instead of refined, white-flour products, to avoid excessive amounts of sugar, and to drink plenty of water. Encourage appropriate amounts of meats and fish, especially fish that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like salmon. It is advisable to provide healthful snacks, such as sliced vegetables with a yogurt-based dip or hummus, whole-grain breads with olive oil, nut and seed mixes, and fresh fruits.

Exercise Is Key

Teens are at a point in their lives where exercise may be more difficult to find time for unless they are on a sports team. Schoolwork may be challenging at these grade levels and classes may require more homework and study. Class projects, test preparation, and other educational goals may lead teens to spend more time in sedentary activities. Encourage physical activity by providing a place and any needed equipment (a basketball hoop, roller blades, a bicycle), and urge your teen to stay as active as possible. Suggest alternatives that permit both educational and fitness goals to be met simultaneously. For example, reading assignments could be completed by listening to an audiobook version while walking or jogging.

Other Factors About Weight Loss For Teens

Recent research has indicated that lack of sleep can contribute to weight problems, so it is important to encouarge your teen to develop healthy sleep habits, such as going to bed before midnight, sleeping in a dark room, and ensuring he gets at least eight hours of sleep each night. Teens often skimp on sleep due to pressures from school and social life.

Stress is another factor in weight-loss; the stress hormone has been shown to trigger fat-storing mechanisms in the body. If your teen seems uptight or stressed, encourage him to talk about the problems he or she may be facing. If he or she is not comfortable talking to you about problems, speaking with a trusted teacher, your religious leader, doctor, or another responsible and trustworthy adult may do the trick.

Support And Encouragement

It has been shown in various studies that people with strong support groups and strong family ties find it easier to make the lifestyle changes required to achieve optimum health. Make sure your teen knows you are supportive of all efforts. Show that support by not serving forbidden foods to other family members in the presence of the dieting teen, by joining in exercises such as walking or cycling, and by providing as much positive reinforcement as your teen will tolerate. Everyone likes a pat on the back -- if it's sincere.

Maintain a positive outlook yourself. Having a child with a health issue is a challenge, but it's important for your child to see that you feel certain of a good outcome. With your help and guidance, your teen can achieve optimum health and attain a healthy, reasonable body weight.