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I have read estimates that as many as 6 million children are overweight and as an overweight child I remember the self-exteem issues that I had as a child and this figure saddens me. Not only are 6 million children at risk for self-esteem issues, but health issues also.
7 million girls have eating disorders. 1 million boys have eating disorders and eating disorders have been found in children as young as 7 years old.
This trend needs to stop and it needs to stop with our children, now.
Parents need to know first and foremost, if their child has an eating disorder. I saw the story about Karen Carpenter and the interesting thing about it was that her family absolutely did not know she had a problem. They didn't know she lived on laxatives, they didn't know she didn't eat. Children and adults with eating disorders are very good at hiding it from the people around them. So iis it possible that your child has a problem and you don't even know it ?
How would we find out. I think knowing what is normal for our children would be the first step. Are they eating the right foods, are they over weight or underweight. Do they get any exercise? Do they eat and then disappear to the bathroom and purge.
And what about the message that we are giving our children with our own quest to lose weight. Are we giving them the right 'healthy" message or are we telling them that a size 6 is more beautiful than a size 14?
http://my.webmd.com/content/chat_tra...s/1/101011.htm this is a great article about childhood obesity.
7 million girls have eating disorders. 1 million boys have eating disorders and eating disorders have been found in children as young as 7 years old.
This trend needs to stop and it needs to stop with our children, now.
Parents need to know first and foremost, if their child has an eating disorder. I saw the story about Karen Carpenter and the interesting thing about it was that her family absolutely did not know she had a problem. They didn't know she lived on laxatives, they didn't know she didn't eat. Children and adults with eating disorders are very good at hiding it from the people around them. So iis it possible that your child has a problem and you don't even know it ?
How would we find out. I think knowing what is normal for our children would be the first step. Are they eating the right foods, are they over weight or underweight. Do they get any exercise? Do they eat and then disappear to the bathroom and purge.
And what about the message that we are giving our children with our own quest to lose weight. Are we giving them the right 'healthy" message or are we telling them that a size 6 is more beautiful than a size 14?
http://my.webmd.com/content/chat_tra...s/1/101011.htm this is a great article about childhood obesity.
