If you just tell your children to eat healthy and exercise because they're overweight, they will not like that at all - they will just feel as though they are being bullied by their parents (people who are supposed to love them). I am going to share a 'tactic' that some of my clients who have overweight children have used, and are using. You want to bring the whole family into it - have a little family meeting and say that 'as a family', you're going to be eating healthier and exercising more. A great way to get this across is to emphisise you (the parents), saying that as you are getting older you need to watch what you eat and exercise regularly, and that will have a different effect on your children. Instead of being stroppy, they will realize that their parents want to be healthier and want a healthy family. So far, with clients who are using this method, its working.
The reason why I advise clients and others to use this tactic, is because if the parents are overweight themselves, they're not exactly in the position to tell their kids to lose weight, because there is a fair chance the kids will say 'why don't you??'. It is also hypercritical to tell someone else to lose weight when you are overweight yourself.
Some people may say - 'don't let your kids get overweight in the first place'. Well, that would be ideal, but you can only control what they eat inside the house. When they go to school, friends houses, go out themselves, they eat what they want. Yes, I do think the parents have to take responsibility and help the issue instead of ignoring it. If you raise your children eating healthy foods and exercising, that will become a habit. You don't have to be super strict all the time, you can let them have the odd bit of fast food and sweets, but you want the habit to be healthy food, with a little cheating on the side, rather than cheating with a bit of healthy food on the side.
If you have children who are overweight, why not give this tactic a try? your children and the rest of your family can become healthier together!
Lee Gregory Fitness
