When the scales go crazy
13-year-old Maya likes to go out with her friends, enjoys burgers and fries and often drinks soft drinks. Maya is in the middle of puberty. All her education about healthy, sensible food seems to have been for nothing. Maya favours unhealthy calorie bombs. Her parents are worried about her teeth and notice physical changes. Maya is putting on weight. Puberty starts differently for every child. The fact is that a lot happens during this time. Children become young adults, break away, test boundaries, experience their first love and the associated first disappointments. And they change physically.
Some young people find sport and exercise a way to let off steam and switch off, while others spend a lot of time in front of the PC or TV and tend to be couch potatoes. Due to hormonal changes, their bodies begin to change and it is not uncommon for young people - especially those who are sedentary and fast-food lovers - to gain weight and become chubby.
This change can be short-lived, but it can also be the precursor to overweight and obesity. According to the Federal Office of Public Health, 15 per cent of children and adolescents in Switzerland are already overweight or obese. If you notice that your daughter or son has put on weight and their weight no longer seems normal or even borderline, it is important that you take this change seriously. However, taking it seriously also means not dramatising it. It is not advisable to make an issue of every tiny change in weight, be it an increase or decrease. After all, weight fluctuations are completely normal and should not be a permanent issue.
Addressing sustainable change
However, if you notice weight gain over a longer period of time and/or the associated unbalanced eating and exercise behaviour, it is worth addressing the issue. You can do this directly by asking your child whether they have gained weight or whether they have noticed that they have gained weight. Or you can tell your child that you don't think their eating or exercise behaviour is ideal.
Depending on the relationship or character of the child, a more cautious approach is recommended. You seek the conversation because you are worried and because you know that too much fast food, little exercise and increasing weight are not healthy. You should also justify the conversation and emphasise that you do not want to be hurtful or make your child feel that they are not okay the way they are. Children are usually very intuitive beings. They eat when they are hungry, sleep when they are tired and cry when they are sad. The older we humans get, the more adapted and therefore less intuitive we become.
However, your child can learn to pay more attention to the feeling of hunger and to recognise when they are full. Even if your child is travelling more as they get older and not all meals take place at home, you as a parent can support them by setting an example. Provide balanced and varied meals at home. Eat healthily, but also intuitively and enjoyably. Treat yourself to a delicious dessert together with your child. Take your time and savour it with all your senses. Demonising food is counterproductive; prohibitions lead to an even greater desire to eat and, in the worst case, to eating in secret. There are numerous recipe suggestions on how you can make meals even more sensible with more vegetables, less fat or less sugar. Look for such ideas together with your child and, if you feel like it, cook them together.
Break down false ideals, promote self-love
A healthy body image includes many factors and is independent of outward appearance. However, the sensitive period of puberty can make it difficult to perceive a positive body image. Unrealistic, fake and edited ideals are shown in the media, to which young people orientate themselves. It is important to break down these ideals and promote the diversity of body landscapes. The «body positivity» movement, which is particularly widespread on social media, advocates precisely this diversity and spreads a feeling of «I am beautiful just the way I am». However, self-love should also go beyond love for one's own body.
The most important facts in brief:
- Take a look: Notice changes, observe them, have them checked by a trusted person.
- Breaking taboos: Talk about weight changes, talk about your own weight development, talk about your feelings.
- Lead by example: Plan balanced family meals, involve children in the planning, look for and practise sports activities together.
- Promoting diversity: Human bodies are different, and that's a good thing.
