Need Tips on Explaining Nutrition to my 64-Year-Old Dad

AyaRowan

Hi there.

Ever since I started changing my diet and lifestyle, I've hoped my 64-year-old dad would grow interested in getting healthier as well. He's significantly overweight, suffers from high blood pressure, has pre-diabetes and arthritis, and a long list of other problems many of which would be helped a great deal by weight loss.

He has mentioned in the past that he "needs to be on that diet" I'm on, and I've tried to explain nutrition and making healthy choices in the past to him. I've also made him a myfitnesspal account which he proceeded to ignore and forget existed. He's constantly telling me I should make him a meal plan, but whenever I try to give him food guidelines or explain how to balance his meals and make healthier choices he pretty much ignores them and drives off to pick up fast food. If I give him a healthy food option, peas for example, he'll put a ton of oil in them because it "makes them taste good".

He's showing interest in healthy eating again in the past few days. I can tell he feels miserable every day and lacks energy to do just about anything. Feeling awful every day was my own turning point, and I hope that maybe this time his interest will stick.

I feel that the biggest reason my attempts to get him to eat healthy before is that he doesn't have a good foundation in nutrition. What a carbohydrate is, for example, and which foods have them. What a whole grain is and why that bread that says it's wheat bread isn't "whole grain" bread. How to balance a meal with low calorie options instead of having a breaded pork chop with breaded fried okra and mashed potatoes with cornbread on the side.

Does anyone have any suggestions to help my dad learn about nutrition in an easy to understand, layman's way? Any good websites? He's not the type that would read through a big long scientific discussion filled with unnecessary terminology that might go over his head. He needs short, to the point information that will help him understand the changes I've been asking him to make to his diet. I've tried to search for beginner nutrition and weight loss guides, but they all look too complicated and long for him to be likely to finish.

Any other tips that might help him (who'll probably never be willing to reliably track calories) would also be a great help.

Unknown

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orangegato

Show him some of the sticky posts here. Maybe the success story pics will interest him which could lead to him reading about weight loss and nutrition via the stickies. That's how it happened for me.

JoLightensUp

The best success my dad had was when he saw a dietitian. I love reading about nutrition and recipes and all that, but my dad was not like that at all. When he was ready to make changes, the outside accountability of a dietitian really spurred him on. She was able to make it simple for him, and it was so much better having someone outside the family encouraging him. I think that, despite our best intentions, our loved ones can sometimes feel like we are nagging them and they just tune us out.

amtyrell

If he is asking for a meal plan with recipes then why not give him that.
You know what he eats now instead of sticking him with more options that he knows what to do with and a description of carbs why not give him a meal plan and how to make things
Instead of telling him peas tell him 2 cups frozen peas and 1 teaspoon butter microwaved 2 minutes and stir.
Instead of say a bacon cheeseburger from fast food place how about a burger make with a turkey patty and lettuce ,onion ,and mustard on whole grain roll.

middlehaitch

I think getting him talking to a registered dietitian is a very good idea.

The quality of the food to begin with (what carbs are, or which bread is better) is irrelevant. Eating less, is more important for weight loss and will help his health markers. Nutritional changes, if he wishes to make them, can be introduced as he loses weigh.

Otherwise, would he read through your countries food guidelines?
I'm in Canada, the guidelines are easy to follow and could be gradually implemented.

http://www.healthycanadians.gc.ca/eating-nutrition/healthy-eating-saine-alimentation/tips-conseils/interactive-tools-outils-interactifs/eat-well-bien-manger-eng.php

The Diabetes Association, and Heart and Stroke Foundation also offer good dietary support.

It will not be, nor should it be, a quick change, help him gradually change and substitute, if it is apropriate for you to do so.

He may respond to getting involved in the forums and taking advice from folks closer to his own age.

He may do better just reducing portion sizes rather than counting and logging.

He may also decide he just wants to carry on as he is.

It's hard when he is your dad, but love and encourage him no matter what.

Cheers, h.
I'm 64 too.

theabsentmindednurse

You can lead a horse to water......
But you can't make him drink!

Sorry love. Until your Dad is at that point that he needs to do something.
He won't change.
Just walk your path and set a good example.

All the best.

missevil

I agree with amtyrell. Don't try to educate him (at least for now) but give him a plan at hand he has to follow to the dot. So he does not have to think and try to remember all the great things you tried to teach him but has simple instructions to follow.
I understand why you would want to educate him and give him the knowledge and tools to make his own informed decisions, but apparently, this is not working at all. So make it as simple and a no-brainer as possible.