Is It WRONG To Put A Seven-Year-Old Girl On a Weight Loss ...

Yes? Well, not so fast?..

For many mothers, this topic may fall into a ?damned if you do, damned if you don?t? category.

In the latest issue of Vogue Magazine, a controversial article written by one New York mom has the blog sites, news commentators, and general public up in arms about Dara-Lynn Weiss? efforts to bring her 7 year old daughter Bea?s weight under control. The article has been met with scathing commentary from many people-who have ?suggested that Mrs. Weiss be pilloried in the town square or at the very least be nominated ?Worst Mom in the History of Planet Earth.?

But wait a minute???

What did this mom do? I am going to sum up the critical points but I highly suggest that before you judge Mrs. Weiss, you read the complete article. Here?s the deal:

This mom had seen her daughter?s weight slowly creep up over the years and did nothing to address it. She basically hoped her child would ?grow out of it? or that the problem would correct itself somehow. Mrs. Weiss freely admits that she has always had problems with weight, been on every diet imaginable, and knew what a struggle it was to lose weight?and she didn?t want to put her daughter through what she thought would be a painful process. Finally, at an annual checkup, little Bea?s doctor stated that Bea was clinically obese and that something MUST be done about her weight.?So, what do you DO when you must help your child do something that you have struggled with your entire life? Mrs. Weiss did alot WRONG, but here is where I disagree with those who are completely bashing/trashing her?she got alot RIGHT. Here?s what I give her credit for:

• She TOOK ACTION when the doctor told her something needed to be done, instead of taking the tone-deaf reaction of ?my child is perfect the way she is/there is nothing wrong with her weight/being overweight is not unhealthy?
• She enlisted the help of a professional childrens dietician to lay the foundation of a good eating plan
• She tried to increase Bea?s physical activity by enrolling her in karate class
• She tried to enlist the whole family (Bea?s brother that had no weight issue) in the process, by educating him on healthy choices as well and taking him to weigh ins with the doctor.

These are some of the GOOD things that she did and as such, I don?t think that she needs to be run out of town on a rail. Now, here are some of the things she did that I DON?T agree with:

• She embarrassed her child/made scenes in public situations when it came to eating/choosing the right foods. Embarrassing your child when it comes to eating/weight issues is never okay. The mother?s heart was in the right place (trying to be strong for her daughter in making the right food choice) but she went about this in the wrong way.
• Making too much of an emphasis on ?good? and ?bad? foods. At seven years old, I don?t think it is necessary to totally demonize certain foods for your child, or to make an issue of ?you can?t have ANY of that? (for example, when schoolmates are having cupcakes to celebrate a birthday). ?I think she should have concentrated more on making sure those types of products were not in the home?where Bea SHOULD be eating the bulk of her meals?and when an occasion comes up at school to have a ?treat?, that Bea was not made to feel different or ?punished? because she was trying to lose weight.
• Ensuring that your child eats appropriate portions and is not overeating-YES. Making your child go to bed without dinner or not allowing her to eat something when she is truly hungry-NO.

So many people took issue with this mother?s methods (and some of them were down-right cringe inducing) but this article is fascinating on so many levels. The emotional tie that we have to food, diet, and weightloss issues in this country is absolutely astounding. My thought is we need to use articles such as this as opportunities to open up the discussion around health, nutrition, childhood obesity, lifelong stuggles with weight, and why having a conversation about needing to lose weight need not cause someone lifelong self esteem issues or problems with food.

So, my answer is YES, there are situations where children should and must be put on a healthy eating regimen. It is certainly a parent?s responsibility to help their child become healthy- if it is in their power to do so. I do not in any way agree with or endorse all of the methods that Mrs. Weiss used to help her daughter lose 16 pounds?but I truly believe that she was doing the best she could to help her daughter?just like most parents do when given a situation they aren?t fully equipped to deal with. My guess is if we could look into the homes of many Americans, we would see situations that parents handled a certain way, and upon reflection-wished they had handled differently.

What do YOU think??

Eat well and Expect Success,

Tawana

Tawana Cain is a Certified Holistic Health and Fitness Strategist. Tawana?can help you build your best body EVER! Learn how to permanently release the weight that is holding you back and discover a new level of Fit, Healthy and Sexy.?Grab a complimentary ?Secrets to Slim Success Kit?at?www.tawanacain.com.

Source: http://transcendent-wellness.com/sevenyearold-girl-put-weight-loss-regime?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sevenyearold-girl-put-weight-loss-regime

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