's MotD January 31, 2008

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's Daily Message ThursdayJanuary 31, 2008PASS IT ON!

I`m telling you, a day doesn`t go by where I don`t receive several E-mails from parents who are very worried about their children`s weight. The stories they share are often very similar.

They have an overweight child whose eating habits are out of control and who feels very bad about themselves because of their weight. They get teased at school. They have no social skills because they really don`t socialize that much with kids their own age. These parents who write also tell me that their children hate going to the doctor because they know they`re going to be weighed. These parents ask, just what should they do to help their children?

Over the weekend, I talked to a lady who has a 14 year-old daughter who weighs 210 pounds and simply hates her life. She can`t find clothes that fit and she can`t find an identity to fit her, either.

As I talked to the Mom, I discovered that she herself weighed 50 pounds more than her daughter. She felt guilty because of her own weight. She blamed herself for passing her own bad eating habits on to her daughter which had led to her daughter becoming fat, just like her.

I asked the Mom if she cooked at home or if she did more ordering-out for food. She told me that she does a little of both. But she also told me that her daughter could just about live at Burger King!

Next, I asked the Mom if she, herself, ever exercised and her answer was no. I then asked if her daughter ever took part in any real physical activity. She told me only if dialing numbers on a cell phone counted as a workout.

It was becoming clearer and clearer to me that we did not have a good situation here. I told the Mom that her own lifestyle had, in fact, led to her daughter`s lifestyle. I also told her that is she did not try and lose this weight with her daughter by setting the right examples for her, then her daughter was never going to lose weight.

I let her know that she was going to have to approach her daughter`s situation in a very positive way. It would begin with her having a real heart-to-heart talk with her young daughter.

I encouraged her to make exercise a real mother/daughter team effort. They should make the time to work out together. I advised her to get in that kitchen with her daughter and for the two of them to prepare healthy recipes together and to stay motivated together. In time, they would be able to encourage each other!

This is the advice I`ve given to parents for decades. But, I`m sorry to say, sometimes parents can be more hardheaded than their kids! I mean, think about it. Whatever you do, whatever you eat, your kids will think it`s okay for them to behave the same way.

When they see you enjoying a double-cheeseburger with fries, hey, you`re sending them the message that it`s okay for them do enjoy the same kind of meal. When you`re sitting on the couch watching your big screen TV, there`s a pretty good chance your kids are right there with you...

Hey, Dad, would you pass the Fritos and bean dip down there, please?

Here are some of the things you need to do. First, take your child to get a physical. Be sure and tell the doctor that your child gets a little panicked with the idea of getting on a scale. She or he should address that issue early in the examination to make your child feels more comfortable. Take your child to the supermarket with you and teach him or her about the good foods available there at the market. It`s not all about junk food, you know and that`s a lesson you have to learn, too!

When you get home, continue this healthy conversation with your child as you remind him or her how much you love them. Let them know that this is going to be a real team-effort and you two are going to work hard and lose this weight...together!

So, are you ready to pass it on? And I mean passing the healthy life on to your children!

Love,