How to talk to your children about putting on weight

The World

From Jamie Oliver’s ‘Food Revolution’ to the first lady’s national crusade, it seems that the issue of child obesity is everywhere. Clearly a major health issue, it is also a major self-esteem issue for children, which leads us to wonder: Is it possible to help our kids take off the extra pounds without giving them a complex?

Abby Ellin, is the author of “Teenage Waistland: A Former Fat-Camper Weighs in on Living Large, Losing Weight, And How Parents Can (And Can’t) Help.” Speaking from her own experience, she says shame is not the way to motivate children to slim down.

And Ylonda Gault Caviness, a longtime family and parenting journalist whose work regularly appears in Redbook and iVillage, insists on two rules above all others: abolish the “F word” (fat), and lead by example.

Are you with The World?

The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work bringing you human-centered news from across the globe. But we can’t do it without you: We need your support to ensure we can continue this work for another year.

When you make a gift of $10 or more a month, we’ll invite you to a virtual behind-the-scenes tour of our newsroom to thank you for being with The World.