Parents' Corner

• Childhood obesity is complex.  Each child is individual and has his/her own self identity.  Being overweight can give him/her an extra layer of problems to cope with. Your role is to help them cope and listen to them when they need to be heard. They sometimes need more than to be told they are not overweight.
• Don't overfuss about your child. Don’t be overprotective and don't blame your self. Try to stay fully functional, calm and relaxed yourself and this will help your child.
• Your child will almost certainly be aware of his body size. Pointing this out to them is likely to make them feel worse.
• Most children benefit from positive comments that boost their  self esteem.  This will make them feel better about themselves and high self-esteem may protect them against further weight gain.
• Be aware that your child will be 'fair game' for bullying, teasing and name calling by other children.  Try to protect him from these societal attitudes by suggesting 'coping' strategies. Eg if you tell your child to ignore it, they will need help in working out how to do this.
• Recognise that they might be accused of being immature as their  size makes them look older than their actual age.  Help others to understand this.
• Find ways of boosting their self-confidence. Eg some overweight children are very good at taking on a caring role, something which often comes naturally.
• Be aware of how sensitive they are to exposing their body to others.  Physical activity should be encouraged, particularly fun activities that the child enjoys and that do not cause embarrassment. Exposing activities such as swimming may still be enjoyed if the child is away home and not seen by local children who tease.. Encouraging life long activities like walking and 'fully-clothed' activities are often best for weight management and have other health benefits.
• Support the child in dealing with the 'kindly sabotaging' activities of others who offer treats habitually, such as well meaning grannies!
• Encourage him/her to eat healthily. Do not ban any foods, but be aware of the high fat/sugar/salt foods. Food is only a part of helping your overweight child and if dealt with sensibly, most children are very unlikely to develop eating disorder.
• Above all, try to keep positive, boost his/her confidence in everything he does and everything he achieves.