What our kids are learning and what they need to know
We have been bombarded by restrictive diet trends over the past 40 years. We have been told to eat fat free in the 1980s, high protein, low carb in the early 2000s and currently high fat, high protein. What we read, see, and hear permeates our minds and influences our behaviors. These restrictive thoughts and behaviors are then passed down from one generation to the next, shaping our children's mental and physical health.
In our schools, we are checking children's weights and BMI and labeling them as normal weight, overweight, or obese; we are giving homework assignments to children that require tracking their foods and calories; we are teaching that there are "good" and "bad” foods.
All of these fad diets and teaching methods can be triggering and lead our children to disordered eating and body dysmorphia.
We need to teach ourselves and our children how to love and appreciate our bodies. Children need to know that their bodies go through major transformations during adolescence. Like a caterpillar to a cocoon, to a butterfly. Who knew something with sixteen legs would turn into something with wings to fly?!
We need to teach ourselves and our children that all foods fit in. That we do not eat numbers, we eat food. We need to show our children a balanced plate with protein, starch, fruits, vegetables, dairy, and fat. We need family meals to teach our children the value of family and community, and the enjoyment of food.
Children from a very young age, three years old, can identify their own hunger and fullness cues. Studies have shown the negative effect of environmental impact on our children's eating from as early as age five. As parents and educators, when we provide meals and snacks on a regular meal schedule, we can trust our children to know how much they need to eat and to stop when they are satisfied.
Also note, that our world has evolved from hunting and gathering our food to ordering online and having our food delivered. For some of us, we have gone from going into the office or school to working or studying remotely at home. Our communities have less free space to play. These changes have made us more and more sedentary. Remember to schedule time for movement and make it enjoyable and fun.
Together, let’s foster a healthy relationship with food and our bodies and pass down healthy eating and exercise habits to our children. See one of our Registered Dietitian Nutritionists to help you learn to love and care for your own body so you can raise confident, intuitive, mindful, and conscientious eaters.
By: Alicia Calvo, MPH, RDN, CDCES, CEDRD
References:
https://www.ellynsatterinstitute.org/how-to-feed/the-division-of-responsibility-in-feeding/