Addressing the F-word: do you talk to your children about their weight?

When it comes to looking after children, we all want to do what’s best for them. But sometimes, it can be hard to address certain topics with your  kids. For example, how do you talk to your child about obesity and weight-loss in a healthy way? How do you encourage them to be happy within their own skin, but to also look after themselves in terms of weight? A previous report has revealed that parents actually fear talking to their children about their weight, simply because they worry it could lead them to develop an eating disorder later on in life. The research, which was conducted by non-profit organisation MEND, found that at least two fifths of parents believe that trying to speak to their children about their weight problems could place them on the fast-track when it comes to developing disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. The figures revealed that 65 percent of the parents who took part in the research identified their child as falling into the ‘overweight’ or the ‘obese’ category. And worryingly, many of the parents firmly believed that broaching the topic of weight with their youngsters would have a severely negative impact on their child’s self-esteem. Two thirds of the parents said that they would love to have more support when it comes to talking to their child about their weight. “This is an awful situation for parents to find themselves in and many parents are probably quite distressed about this. Our survey shows that they clearly want and need more help in this area,” said Dr Paul Chadwick, the clinical director and co-founder of MEND. “With obesity affecting a third of children, we can no longer afford for weight to be a taboo subject. It’s crucial that we talk about obesity in a helpful way with a focus on the positive aspects of being healthy rather than looking good,” he added. The Irish Nurses And Midwives Association states that one in five Irish children is considered to be obese with levels of obesity reaching epidemic proportions in recent years. More than 300,000 Irish children are considered obese - and this figure is estimated to increase by 10,000 annually. Do you feel comfortable talking to your children about their weight or do you, like many other parents, struggle when it comes to addressing the F-word?