Teenage obesity is a dangerous — and growing — problem. Like any weight-loss challenge, there's no magic bullet for teen weight loss. Still, there's plenty you can do to help. Start by encouraging your teen to adopt healthy habits that can last a lifetime.
Have a heart-to-heart
If your teen is overweight, he or she is probably concerned about the excess weight, too. Aside from lifelong health risks such as high blood pressure and diabetes, the social and emotional fallout of being overweight can be devastating for a teenager. It can also be frustrating to attempt weight loss and have poor results. Offer support and gentle understanding — and a willingness to help your teen manage the problem.
You might say, "I can't change your weight. That's up to you. But I can help you make the right decisions."
Dispute unrealistic images
Weight and body image can be delicate issues, especially for teenage girls. When it comes to teen weight loss, remind your teen that there's no single ideal weight and no perfect body. The right weight for one person might not be the right weight for another.
Rather than talking about "fat" and "thin," encourage your teen to focus on practicing the behaviors that promote a healthy weight. Your family doctor can help set realistic goals for body mass index and weight based on your teen's age, height and general health.
Resist quick fixes
Help your teen understand that losing weight — and keeping it off — is a lifetime commitment. Fad diets may rob your growing teen of iron, calcium and other essential nutrients. Weight-loss pills and other quick fixes don't address the root of the problem and could pose risks of their own. Even then, the effects are often short-lived. Without a permanent change in habits, any lost weight is likely to return — and then some.
Promote activity
Teens need about 60 minutes of physical activity a day — but that doesn't necessarily mean 60 solid minutes at a stretch. Shorter, repeated bursts of activity during the day can help burn calories, too. In fact, any physical activity counts.
Team sports through school or community programs are great ways to get active. If your teen isn't an athlete or is hesitant to participate in certain sports, that's OK. Encourage him or her to walk, bike or in-line skate to school, or to walk a few laps through the halls before class. Suggest trading an hour of after-school channel surfing for shooting baskets in the driveway, jumping rope or walking the dog. Even household chores and video games that require physical movement can help your teen burn calories.
Suggest breakfast
If your teen fights the alarm clock the way it is, getting up even earlier to eat breakfast may be a tough sell — but it's important. A nutritious breakfast will jump-start your teen's metabolism and give him or her energy to face the day ahead. Even better, it may keep your teen from eating too much during the rest of the day.
If your teen resists high-fiber cereal or whole-wheat toast, suggest last night's leftovers. Even a piece of string cheese or a small handful of nuts and a piece or two of fruit can do the job.
Encourage smart snacking
It can be tough to make healthy choices when school halls are lined with vending machines, but it's possible. Encourage your teen to replace even one bag of chips a day with a healthier grab-and-go option from home:
Frozen grapes
Oranges, strawberries or other fresh fruit
Sliced red, orange or yellow peppers
Cherry tomatoes
Baby carrots
Low-fat yogurt or pudding
Pretzels
Graham crackers
String cheese
Watch portion sizes
When it comes to portions, size matters. Encourage your teen to scale back, eat slowly and stop eating when he or she is full — both at home and away from home. It might take just one slice of pizza or half the pasta on the plate to feel full. An occasional indulgence is OK, but even then there's no shame in sharing a meal, ordering a smaller portion or skipping dessert.
Count liquid calories
The calories in soda, fruit juice, specialty coffees and other drinks can add up quickly. Drinking water instead of soda and other sugary drinks may spare your teen hundreds of calories a day — or even more. For variety, suggest flavored water, seltzer water or unsalted club soda.
Make it a family affair
Rather than singling out your teen, adopt healthier habits as a family. After all, eating healthier foods and getting more exercise is good for everybody.
Encourage the entire family to eat more fruits, veggies and whole grains, such as whole-wheat bread, brown rice and oatmeal. Keep these foods in plain sight, and be sure to set a good example yourself.
Leave junk food at the grocery store. Healthy foods sometimes cost more, but it's an important investment.
Try new recipes or healthier alternatives to family favorites.
Eat in the kitchen — not on the couch while watching TV or playing computer or video games.
Limit screen time. Instead, plan active family outings — such as evening walks or weekend visits to a local recreation center. You might even make physical activity a topic of family conversations, rather than what or how much anyone is eating.
Be positive
Being overweight doesn't inevitably lead to a lifetime of low self-esteem, but your acceptance is critical. Listen to your teen's concerns. Comment on his or her efforts, skills and accomplishments. Make it clear that your love is unconditional — not dependent on weight loss. Help your teen learn healthy ways to express his or her feelings, such as writing in a journal.
If your teen is struggling with low self-esteem or isn't able to cope with his or her weight in a healthy manner, consider a support group, formal weight-control program or professional counseling. Additional support may give your teen the tools to counter social pressure, cultivate more positive self-esteem and take control of his or her weight. The benefits will last a lifetime.
