We’ve heard for years about the childhood obesity epidemic. While many health care providers, academics and researchers look for a solution to this growing challenge, Weight Watchers announced they intend to tackle childhood obesity by offering a free program for teenagers.
In a public statement, Weight Watchers hopes to “help young people develop good habits at a critical age.”
As a registered dietitian specializing in pediatric nutrition, one of the fears I hear from parents is having an overweight child who will struggle with weight their entire lives. I also hear another concern from parents: the worry about having a child who develops an eating disorder. While these concerns appear to be on opposite ends of the spectrum, they are connected.
[See: What to Say and Do If Your Daughter Thinks She’s Fat.]
The Research about Dieting and Kids
We’ve known for decades the risks associated with dieting among youth. For example, research in children and teens has found higher instances of weight gain and increased rates of binge eating disorder associated with dieting. Another study followed the dieting behaviors of teens for five years and revealed a doubled risk for becoming overweight.
Still other studies have highlighted dieting behaviors such as skipping meals and calorie restriction as key risk factors for developing an eating disorder.
“I was on my first diet at 8,” says Kim Covert, a parent who lives in Dexter, Michigan, in response to Weight Watchers’ new program for teens. “My unhealthy relationship with food has continued since then. I work hard to avoid that with my kids.”
The research is clear: Dieting may backfire, potentially leading to weight gain or an eating disorder.
Do No Harm
In a clinical report released last year, the American Academy of Pediatrics warned health care providers that focusing too much on a teen’s weight status was dangerous. Along with highlighting the risks of too much weight talk, the harm associated with weight-based bullying and the importance of building a positive body image, the AAP’s top recommendation was to discourage dieting, skipping meals and the use of any diet aids to promote weight loss.
With all this evidence of harm to teens, why is Weight Watchers expanding its reach and targeting them?
[Read: The Surprising Way a Pediatric Nutritionist and Mom Handles Treats in the Home.]
Revenue and Relevance
For any thriving company, growth, profitability and relevance is the backbone of future success. Take the tobacco industry, for instance. Some people believe they were marketing to youth to create brand loyalty and future sales.
This is the notion behind some food marketing to children, as well. Introduce and imprint the brand early, and cultivate loyalty for a lifetime.
Similarly, Weight Watchers is expanding its reach with hopes to increase sales and revenue by introducing a program that targets teens. Introducing teens to the culture of dieting (and yes, counting points is counting calories) will help guarantee a future of adult dieters.
Given what we know about dieting in children and teens, this effort to “help” seems to be more about ensuring a healthy financial future for Weight Watchers than the health of our nation’s children.
If No Dieting, Then What?
“I was a teenager who was obese and did the Weight Watchers program successfully. However, I am still not a fan of this decision,” says Elizabeth Kauruter, a registered dietitian, in Fort Myers, Florida. “I maintained an unhealthy relationship with food and had self-esteem issues all the way through my college years, until I became a registered dietitian.”
The individual toll of dieting on self-esteem, body image, metabolism and health can last for years.
So if dieting is damaging, how should children who carry extra weight be managed?
Helping children grow into healthy adults is more than getting kids to eat nutritious foods or stay away from junky fare. It’s broader and deeper than counting points or calories, weighing oneself or trying to control every bite to shed pounds.
Raising a healthy child takes years of dedicated effort, and includes an integrated, holistic, family-based approach focused on healthy living. Parents need to pay attention to food choice and positive interactions when feeding children, while encouraging physical activity and healthy habits. They also need to be role models of good health, shape their child’s self-esteem in healthful ways, and encourage a positive outlook on food and eating.
[See: 10 Concerns Parents Have About Their Kids’ Health.]
True child health comes from the interaction of nutritious foods, effective feeding strategies, daily activity, adequate sleep and other health-promoting behaviors, rather than a focus on dieting. This is the path to building a healthy child, inside and out.
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Diets Backfire. Let’s Pave a Path for Our Children to True Health Instead originally appeared on usnews.com
