During childhood you can build eating patterns for the rest of your life. In the U.S., thirty percent of school aged children (5 to 18 year olds) are overweight. Adolescence is a time of building self esteem and craving acceptance and popularity from their peers. It is also a time of changing and growing bodies.



Children are bombarded with media representations of thin people just as much as adults are. It especially affects teenagers who want to be like the models they see on television or in magazines. Fad diets why they are bad is because children and teens are tempted to try them to reach an unattainable goal. They feel bad about themselves because of their appearance, especially if that is a value that is taught at home.

Parents can contribute to modeling diet behavior and sometimes it is not in a healthy way. Parents can also contribute to the childs self esteem. If your parents are telling you that you are fat and need to lose weight, the teen will feel bad about his or herself. If parents value good looks and thin bodies, their children are apt to value that to.

You have an overweight teen that desperately wants acceptance from his or her peers and wants to please their parents. Teens or children may go to extremes to lose weight because they feel bad about themselves. According to the Journal of Pediatrics, teens that read more fashion magazines then other teens were more likely to have unhealthy weight control behaviors five years later. Studies have also shown that teens who diet are more likely to be overweight five years later.

Kids may also get negative messages from peers, teachers or extended family members. This will lead the teen to diet so they can be accepted. This may cause the teen to drop his or her other interests and talents. If a teen is dieting, all of his or her energy may be focused on weight loss. This can be associated with the development of an eating disorder. Eating disorders can cause dehydration and electrolyte balance, weakness, distorted body image, decreased bone density, osteoporosis and death.

Teens may go to extremes to lose weight using diet pills, fasting or fad dieting. Children need to eat well to think clearly and keep there bodies functioning. Drastic dieting can cause metabolic and nutritional deficiencies. Dieting can become their focus in life, over their family, friends and activities.

Our society demands that children grow up fast these days. A teens body image is one of the core issues of their self esteem. Fad diets why they are bad is because the diet industry exploits the loss of self esteem in children and teens. Diet product manufactures do not care how old you are. If you are overweight there are many fad diets to choose from, overweight kids are especially vulnerable to the diet industry.

Children today do not get as much exercise as they used to unless they are involved in a sport at school. Many children today sit in from of the television playing video games and watching television. Joining a team sport at school will give the teen a sense of belonging, get them exercising and build their self esteem. Exercising will help them lose weight naturally.

Parents need to teach and model good eating habits. They should promote their childs self esteem by their grades or other activities and achievements. Kids who are obese can get help from a dietitian where they can learn healthy eating and exercise habits for their lifetime.