How young is too young?

JulieO829

Just curious... how young is too young be concerned about your weight and body image and to count calories? How young is it to be considered "unhealthy" to do so?

rockerbabyy

i think being healthy is a legit concern for people of any age. as far as calorie counting goes, i dont really know if theres an age limit. i think if one is in a healthy weight range and their doctor isnt concerned there may not be a need to count calories. just eating healthy in general and staying active is enough for most young people

jenlarz

I would say it depends on what you are like already, lots of young people can eat anything and be fine, but on the other hand childhood obesity is out of control and kids learning to eat healthy is great. Developing habits young is great. Self esteem and self image are important, but they need to be based on more than size

JulieO829

You both have very interesting points. I'm just curious on different people's views on if it's unhealthy for young people to be really concerned about their weight (and by young I mean in high school). Sometimes I'm just afraid I'm becoming to obsessive with it and that I'm too hard on myself.

Chagama

Health is always good to be concerned about. In terms of weight loss, what we've heard regarding our kids is that while they are still growing they shouldn't be trying to lost weight, but should focus on maintaining. As they grow they thin out.

Wisemomoffour

I have a fourteen year old daughter that is heavier than she should be...I don't talk to her about dieting but she sees me reading labels and exercising. I encourage all my kids (the others are at a healthy weight) to be active and be aware of portion size--especially when eating junk food. I don't think I would let her track her calories like this yet, but I don't think she is too young to talk about healthy living.

Dgwells29

Knowing what I know now, I think we should start teaching kids healthy eating at a young age.

My mom was from the south and she cooked southern style with lard, fat back and sugar syrup, really sweet tea, cakes, pies etc.

Then she would call me fat and punish me for being overweight when she was the person who did it to me.

Teach and support, don't criticize.

MountainMia

It's never to young to be concerned about your health. But my opinion is that it matters more about the intensity of the concern and if it is legit. Sometimes people think they have weight problems when it's just body image problems.

My daughter is 6 and she is getting a bit of a chunk belly. She knows it's there but doesn't see it as a problem. I'm really trying to keep it that way. She knows I have one too and that I don't hate it, but am working to make it smaller so it doesn't slow me down or make me uncomfortable in my pants. She sees me making healthy changes and is curious. I teach her about healthy food choices and why I pick some things over others and why I don't always make the same choices.

I wouldn't put her on MFP, but a high school kid struggling with their weight could benefit from keeping track just like the rest of us. It would have to be their choice though, and as a parent, I would "friend" them to see what they are up to to make sure they aren't too heavily invested in opinions and misinformation on the forums.

dancingincircles84

I know that when I was 14 I was far to concerned with my weight and the size of my hips and thighs and that I didn't realize I was just getting bigger because I was growing. Being healthy is one thing, but if I tracked calories back then I probably would have developed an eating disorder.

ratherbeskiing

I work in a hospital with kids with developmental disabilities. We put a lot of kids on a "low fat diet." It is amazing what qualifies- hot dogs- french fries because they are baked chicken nuggets- same reason. I guess they are better then somethings and they are kid friendly food but we have kids that are 8 and 9 over weight and on this diet. They don't understand they just know that they are on it and we chose their food if they can't make smart choices. I feel bad but what am I going to do. It is also frustrating because you know that when they go home they are going to go back to eating junk....

Yvonnelaycock

If you are concerned that you are becoming obsessed, you could talk to your doctor to find out first of all, if you are in a healthy weight range. If you are, then counting calories in high school is likely too much. IF you are only trying to maintain your weight, and making healthier choices...it doesn't seem too bad to me. Eating disorders are no joke, though...so find out from a professional if you should be concerned with the weight....or the obsession.

shady1987dre

Just curious... how young is too young be concerned about your weight and body image and to count calories? How young is it to be considered "unhealthy" to do so?

There is no age in my option, its something you should be worried about from the day you are born to you die.

Sarahmeridith

I believe that it is very bad for young girls (non adult age) to be concerned about weight at all, this can lead to nothing but body image issues and low selfesteem. But I think at any age its ok the be concerned and educated about health. For example a high schooler who plays sports needs to understadn it is important to eat enough and the proper foods for energy. I think everyone should be taught nutrition as a child because there is way too much false information adn way to many of us who even as adults were unaware just how bad we were being to our bodies.

amykathleen2005

I used to teach children nutrition and physical education through an AmeriCorps program for kids ages 5-13. The way we approached it was through teaching about how different nutrition choices keep you healthy. Like whole grains have all the good nutrients and fiber and they help you poop. Or that eating a rainbow of fruits and veggies is good for your health and can help your skin, eyes, organs, etc. Just showing what is a healthier choice can help as well. Like at McDonald's a plain burger might be an okay choice and you can pair it with apples and some low fat milk. We used the Go, Slow, Whoa system where Go's you can eat as much as you want of, Slow needs to be only a few times a day and Whoa is a special treat. You don't need to bring up a child's weight if you feel it would be too sensitive a topic, but you can teach about why different foods are health choices and how they can help you to grow up strong and healthy.

Teaching now about healthy habits means that kids won't have to break these bad habits when they are in college and realize they have a serious weight issue.

Here is a link to the program I taught and the 12 lesson curriculum with healthy snack ideas if you want to use it as a resource.
http://www.childrenshungeralliance.org/ANE/foodfolks.php

rjt1000

Just curious... how young is too young be concerned about your weight and body image and to count calories? How young is it to be considered "unhealthy" to do so?

I'm starting to quietly encourage my 11 year old to be more health aware. I'm getting her to go to the gym with me at times and finding out what type of exercises she enjoys. Kids don't have the opportunities to play/exercise outdoors the same as when I was a kid. When I was 11, I got home from school, grabbed something to eat and then was outside doing somethign with friends until called in for dinner. And often back out again after dinner until too dark to see. On weekends, I was NEVER inside except on the worst winter days.

Heatherjg0419

JulieO... you're a female... so the answer is yes, you're probably being too hard on yourself. :-)

That being said, it's never too early to learn how to eat healthily, make sure you exercise, etc. Make sure you're seeing a doctor on a regular basis ... there are warning signs for when paying attention to being healthy crosses over into the eating disorder area.

I'd recommend finding those warning signs(google search, but make sure it's from a credible source), talk to a doctor about your goals and whether they're healthy and whether you're concerned or obsessed.

And give yourself a break ... remember that beautiful people come in all shapes and sizes... and it's important that you're healthy. P.S. your pic shows me a beautiful young lady. Hope you see that, too.

Good luck.

dumb_blondes_rock

In a kid's mind, it shouldnt' be"oh how many calories am i eating today" it should be "ok I had a slice of chocolate cake, which means i need to get outside and move around to burn it off". Kid's are growing, so i think putting a certain number on how much someone takes in is a bit much, just they need to take in good calories, not chips, soda, candy.....and if they do want to eat those things they need to know that they have to exercise to burn it off. I'm not a mom, but if i was thats how i would raise my children. Teens are always going to have body issues, especially females ones, but if there is a true overweight problem, then they should join a sports team or work out with friends or even their family and "watch" what they eat, but not necissarily take a count of every calorie they take in.

msjessae

too young: when you haven't hit puberty yet (at least I think so anyway)
I find it sad when little girls think too much about their self image.

Aerohead21

I agree about teaching it early. I think you also have to factor in family history. For example, my cousin's husband has Type 1 diabetes that he has had since he was ten. My cousin feeds their daughter junk. She is 5 and already overweight so her pediatrician put her on a diet. They don't call it a diet and they don't tell her she is overweight but they really started cracking down on what foods and how much she is eating.

I think it is irresponsible to feed your kids poorly and not teach them to appreciate a healthy lifestyle. I also think, unfortunately, as a society, between the lack of nutritional education and inundation/reward system behind junk food (come on, what kid doesn't want the kid's meal when you get a toy), we are in a downward spiral.

That is the number 1 reason I began this journey. My 2 yr old doesn't need to struggle like I did as a kid.

AshJasper

Just curious... how young is too young be concerned about your weight and body image and to count calories? How young is it to be considered "unhealthy" to do so?

There is no age in my option, its something you should be worried about from the day you are born to you die.

I completely disagree. this is the kind of attitude that creates eating disorders. a three year old should not be concerned about their weight or body image, and neither should a teenager. im not saying you shouldn't eat healthy and be active. but you certainly should not obsesses about it. unless your extremely over weight to where is inst healthy and you are becoming pre diabetic, and even then you shouldn't obsess, just be aware. im nineteen and I don't like my body. but I don't obsess and I don't wrap my entire life around being skinny. I now eat healthier and work out often, but It's mostly so I'm healthy.

jennday1

My niece is only 9 but she is obese. She is already very self conscious about her weight and has been trying to lose it. I would say if the child is old enough to make the decision to lose weight AND they are at an unhealthy weight then teach them the right way to do it. Teach them healthy eating and exercise. My kids are both a healthy weight but they are much more active than my niece. It makes me sad that she is already worrying about this sort of thing, but what can I do...she isn't my child.