My Parents are overweight.. but I'm healthy! HELP

CourteneyLove

Both of my parents are overweight, The sad thing is, they pay for a 'family' gym membership but I am the only one who uses it. My parents have probably been to the gym a collective 3 times. They don't eat healthy either. I try to get them off of the couch and work out with me or even go on a short walk, but it never happens. I want to help them because I am scared of their future. My dad has Type II diabetes because he is severely overweight. My mom has dieted before but always seems to gain the weight back.

Does anyone have ideas to try and help motivate them to get active and/or eat healthier? I am scared of losing them and don't want to live knowing that I could've done something to help. Thanks!!

kyylieeeeee

I'm looking forward to hearing answers for this, too. My sister, my father and I are all incredibly fit and very active, but my mom is overweight and not particularly interested in exercise. We all eat a very healthy diet, but my mom's problem is eating huge portions of things without exercising (plus she eats a dessert every night)-- even the healthiest foods aren't good for you in that quantity! She loves to go hiking with the family, but that happens so rarely since we all have different schedules.

I second the call for advice on this!

Frappuzzino

Have you tried explaining that getting up and moving is the first step and what the inevitable affects are if they don't? They don't necessarily have to go to the gym to work out. A quick 10 minute walk around the block or on the treadmill for a week is the first step to get them started and up and moving. Honestly, there's only so much convincing you can do as far as your parents go. My dad is the same way and is just too stubborn sometimes!

unicornassassin

From my experience, people don't change until they are ready, and no one likes to feel like they are being nagged. I think the best thing you can do is to continue to be healthy yourself, and maybe they'll see how good you feel and want that for themselves. There are a lot of positive stories on here of older people with health problems getting in shape, maybe your parents will get to that point one day.

Sorry I don't have anything more encouraging to say, but you just can't make people change. Good luck

XXXMinnieXXX

Sounds a bit like admitting defeat, but I truly think you can't help them until something snaps in their head and they really wasn't it themselves. You can't help people if they don't want to help themselves. Its sad, its hard, but in my experiences true. My experience is that was me! As much as everyone worried I had to turn the corner and want it myself. Now there's no stopping me.
Don't put their happiness and health on your shoulders. I know that's easier said than done! Its just not something you can control unless they want to themselves! You can gently encourage and just hope eventually they will realise they want to live a healthy happy life. Its not your burden to carry. I know you still do! I'm at a point where I'm doing something but the rest of my family are arriving at where I was at, I gently encourage them, but know really they will have to really want this for it to happen xxx

littlemsmuffet

I'm sorry about your parents. I have been in your situation before too and, honestly, if they are not doing anything currently to improve their health, then their health is probably not going to motivate them. That is, they are not going to diet/work out because they want to be "healthy". Something else needs to motivate them and I would encourage you to find out what that "something else" is. Have you had a heart-to-heart with them about how YOU feel? I am sure they would be touched to know you want them around for a long time.

I had the same conversation with my parents. My dad has always cycled through emotional highs-lows but he frequently turns to exercise to relieve stress (he just doesn't eat right, lol). My mom is pre-diabetic. When I told her how I felt about her and how I wanted to see her eat better and work out more, she cried. I didn't realize how many stressful things she was dealing with until I talked with her about her health. She has made some small efforts and I feel better knowing we had that conversation and there is a better understanding between my parents and I. They respect my choices and I respect them for having come so far in life - it's pretty amazing, they might not look healthy but actually they look way better for everything their going through than I would have imagined! It's not a Biggest Loser house though, haha!

So, anyway, hope that helps. It's my perspective but try some things yourself. Make an effort to understand them before you try to fix them.

sjtreely

Ummm, let me get this straight - you're wanting to change adult behavior with people who aren't expressing their desire to change? Gotta be honest, I think you're in for a difficult, at best, task. It's hard enough to change behavior when you want to change. Continue on your path to a healthy lifestyle, continue to invite them to the gym with you, but you might focus on enjoying them for the people they are rather than who you wish for them to become.

CourteneyLove

Thank you all for your ideas.