Sections:

Developing a Wellness Approach to Body Size, Page 4

Support for Realistic Weight Goals

a picture of a pregnant mom holding fruit
Fortunately in the United States, a growing awareness that constant restrictive dieting is not a good wellness behavior and actually harmful in the long run, has begun. One professional organization that supports this is the American Dietetic Association. It now recommends focusing on regular exercise and gradual lifelong dietary changes, rather than amount of pounds lost. The two concepts promoted by them are:

  • The goal should be weight maintenance, not weight loss 
  • Achieving the best weight possible should be in the context of overall health.

Increased consumption of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains is emphasized and a nonrestrictive approach to eating based on internal body regulators of hunger and satiety. Favorite foods or comfort foods should be included occasionally. Providing ongoing professional counseling and group support is also helpful.

Weight management for children should never center around strict calorie restrictive diets. In fact, children need breast milk or formula until age one and whole milk until age two for enough fat intake to ensure good brain and nervous system development. Also, using height and weight to calculate BMI as a determinate of potential for being overweight is not even considered until age two and above. Goals should focus on building self-esteem and developing healthy eating habits, plus it is important that the entire family support and demonstrate healthy eating habits.

Children truly imitate what the adults do themselves, not what adults say the child should do. Studies show that even before birth, the mother influences the child’s eating behaviors. If the mother is a good fruit and vegetable eater, the flavors of these foods are present in the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby in the uterus and also in the mother’s breast milk. Thus the child is familiar with these flavors and has few problems accepting them once solid food is introduced. So if a mom wants her child to eat healthy foods, it is important for her to be a good example very early on. A wellness approach to healthy eating is truly a part of the entire human life cycle.