How young is too young?

jcstanton

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.

Developing healthy habits at your age is certainly a good thing, but I wouldn't put much emphasis on being concerned specifically about weight unless a health professional tells you directly that there is a valid reason to be concerned with it. First, if you haven't had a wellness checkup or physical with your doctor recently, that would be a good place to start. Good health starts from the inside out. You can have a discussion with your doctor about any concerns you may have, and he/she may be able to give you a better idea of whether or not those concerns are justified. In general, I would say it would be better for a teenager to exercise portion control, rather than count calories, though. And by portion control, I don't mean you have to weigh and measure every single thing you eat. There are guidelines you can use to "eyeball" a correct portion. It's not good to get into a habit of over indulging at meals, but you don't want to under nourish your body either. Make sure you have a realistic, healthy perception of what a correct portion looks like. Choosing healthy foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats over junk food and fast food is also important for good health. Also, 30-45 minutes of vigorous exercise per day is a good habit to get into...even as a teenager. You could start by going for a walk/run in your neighborhood or a local park. If you have an interest in sports, go out for one of the sports teams at your high school. All of that being said, if you're concerned that you are developing an unhealthy obsession with your weight and/or food, PLEASE, talk to a parent or guidance counselor. Seek help now before it becomes a full on eating disorder. The fact that you are even asking this question, tells me that you have a good head on your shoulders. Most teenagers wouldn't even recognize that there might be a problem with the way they perceive their bodies. If you find yourself comparing your body/weight/shape/size to that of the girls around you or the media images that you are faced with.....STOP DOING THAT. There is no such thing as a "perfect" body. Every body is different. No matter how hard you try, you will never look exactly like someone else. It's all about being the healthiest YOU you can be.

garnet1483

I think it depends on the person. I was very concerned with my weight from about the age of 8, and unfortunately, it escalated into an ED by the time I was 14. It was an obsession, and it wasn't healthy, and I didn't realize it. I think, if you have thoughts about your weight, but you're concerned about your age and being able to handle the situation, that you should be open about it with your doctor, school nurse, and/or parents. They'll be able to help you look at your weight objectively, and manage any weight loss you want or need to attempt in a healthy way. The important thing, from my experience, is to stay positive about yourself, no matter what. You as a person are not tied to you as a number on a scale. It sounds like you're very thoughtful, and that's good. It's fine to watch your weight and watch your calories, but make sure you're doing it in a healthy way.

970Mikaela1

I have a seven year old daughter that will imitate and eat the same things i do. My goal for her is to help her learn healthy habits that will last her a life time. gotta say tho one of the funniest things ive ever seen is her trying to do push ups with me! her arms are pretty little and i can beat her doing pushups but shes going to have a six pack way before i do if i ever do) cuz at seven she whips out situps like they are nothing!!!!!

bobie1978

I have always watched what my daughter eats.. I don't deprive her of anything but don't allow her to over do it either. Since I have poor eating habits and always have and they are hard to change as you get older. I don't think its never to early to start showing healthy eating habits.

karinaes

any age is too young to be obsessing over weight. never too young to worry about the health, however.

you may have to be careful on the "obsessing" too much about your weight.
my university houses a private high school and it seems like most those girls have eating disorders
i'm not saying that because of the way they look necessarily, but i've overheard at least 3 different conversations of different group of those high school girls ...all talking about how they freak out if they weigh over 100 lb.

Rompa_87

I come from a Psych background and couldn't really say any specific age is too young to worry about calories.

Personally, if you are counting calories AT ANY AGE to the point where it becomes dysfunctional then it's bad. If you cannot enjoy a meal out with friends at a restaurant because you do not know how the food is prepared or if even the rare piece of chocolate sends you into guilt mode then you have taken it too far.

If you are on a super restricted low calorie diet (those crazy under 1200cal, or even 1200cal imo) then you have taken it too far. If you feel distressed for taking days off to recover when you are sick or injured then you have taken it too far.

Like most people have posted here you can never be too young to set healthly lifestyle goals. For example, eating mostly natural whole foods with the rare junk food snack or meal out is a good lifestyle choice and realistic. As is exercising most days of the week if getting fitter or stronger is your goal. However, if you get constantly run down, sick or injured and do not take time off then you are no longer living healthy.

Bikini27

I've been aware of my weight and my issues since I was a very little girl.

Wanting to be healthy and being aware of what you are putting into your body should not have an age limit.

If it becomes an obsession in any way, at any age, a person should seek a counselor or a trained professional to learn how to be healthy without obsessing and hurting themselves.

peachNpunkin

I think that if we start our children off eating a healthy lifestyle right out of the shoot, they won't have to do what we are having to do when they become adults.

I don't know that there is an actual age limit in all reality. I have a friend who has an 8 year old daughter who weighs 130 pounds. Is she too young to start counting calories? I think that if she has the support of her parents (who are the reason she is the wt that she is in my opinion) it could be done safely, under a doctor's supervision of course.

I think it depends on the situation.

LaurenAOK

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.

I think it definitely depends on maturity level more than age, so for some high schoolers it may be appropriate to count calories. That being said, if you are concerned about yourself that could be a red flag. If food and calorie counting starts to make you feel depressed or you are developing self-esteem issues, please seek help. Unfortunately high school is a very common time for eating disorders to develop.

Overall, I'd say it's great to think about health and want to lead a healthy lifestyle at any age. Children should be taught to exercise and eat appropriate portion sizes - and to make healthy food choices. However, getting really involved and counting calories does have the danger of causing an obsession, even for adults. Again, please be careful and monitor yourself.

hellraisedfire

I think at any age it's important. just because you're an obese 3 year old doesn't mean you can't experience adverse effects. but like many people are saying, if it's becoming an obsession that's probably an issue. I've also talked to a cardiologist who said there's studies on people who reverse heart damage by being extremely heathy but some of these people in the study committed suicide. so I think that's a really, REALLY good indicator that moderation of foods we like are GOOD for us!

kyrstensmom

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....

And the things you ar describing in your post aren't healthy choices either....and "low fat" is part of the reason the obesity epidemic is what it is. Its better to educate than dictate.

PositivelyFlawed

Being healthy is something every child, teen, and adult young and old should be concerned and focused on. However, worrying about being overweight/losing weight is really only something that someone under the age of 16 should worry about on the advice of a physician. Anyone under the age of 16 is still very much in a developmental stage and there is no telling how the body will change, thin or blossom.

As an obese parent with a heavy husband I am very conscious of my daughters weight. Luckily she is thus far a very healthy toddler in the 25th percentile for weight. My husband and I are making changes now so my daughter will learn by example and avoid a life of obesity. What I don't want to do is ever harp on her about her weight, but merely steer her towards healthy choices and exercise portion control to set an example.

JessicaHoskins

After going through very rigorous & intense treatment for Eating Disorders, I can say that the experts all agree on one thing: There's no sense in a girl expecting to be at her "ideal" weight until she's AT LEAST 21yrs. old....because a girl/woman is NOT done developing physically until they are 21, so it's moot for any female to attempt dieting before that age.

jnhu72

I think I was 12 when my mother started putting me on a diet. Unfortunately they were fad diets that didn't do anything but make me feel bad about myself and make my food problems worse. I think that parents need to try to incorporate healthy meals into their child's daily eating but not call it a diet. While I do not have children, I have a 4 yr. old niece who is fed nothing but junk (donuts for breakfast, lunchable for lunch, cookies for snack and pizza or Mcdonalds for dinner-EVERY DAY!) When she is with me (which is a lot) I feed her healthy things. When she is with me she wants to eat apples and salad and grilled chicken or drink water instead of Pepsi.

christina0089

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.

^^^^^^^^^^^^agreed!

I love the attitude you have towards health over all as that really should be the focus, especially for a young adult or adolescent. You are absolutley right about giving it to much thought so that it becomes an obsession. Being healthy is good for anyone of any age. Just as having an eating disorder at any age is unhealthy. Any person who learns common sense can use it to develop a healthy relationship with food to get and stay healthy.

Ostinatoarts

This topic made me think about my job as a public school teacher! When I was completing my student teaching during my undergrad, I was straight up APPALLED at what was being served to the students. A typical breakfast consisted of chocolate milk, a packaged, sugary breakfast item (huge glazed bear claws, 540 calories apiece, were the norm), a packaged bowl of sugar-drenched kiddie cereal, and a piece of fruit the students were required to take.

I was shocked that this was happening, so I did some research... turns out it all checked out because of the fruit the kids had to put on their tray every morning! I'll let you guess how many pieces of fruit actually got consumed each morning. The health and fitness teacher tried to fight it (valiantly) so, so many times but it was like yelling at a brick wall.

Does anyone currently have elementary-aged kids attending public school right now? I'd like to get some feedback on if/how well the First Lady's fitness initiatives are being implemented.

christina0089

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.

I think it definitely depends on maturity level more than age, so for some high schoolers it may be appropriate to count calories. That being said, if you are concerned about yourself that could be a red flag. If food and calorie counting starts to make you feel depressed or you are developing self-esteem issues, please seek help. Unfortunately high school is a very common time for eating disorders to develop.

Overall, I'd say it's great to think about health and want to lead a healthy lifestyle at any age. Children should be taught to exercise and eat appropriate portion sizes - and to make healthy food choices. However, getting really involved and counting calories does have the danger of causing an obsession, even for adults. Again, please be careful and monitor yourself.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ exactly!

mamagooskie

It depends on the person. I think any obese or overweight person should be concerned or have someone concerned for them. Ive seen 100+ lb 5 year olds and its sad.......but Ive seen 100 lb teenagers talk about how fat they are. I think being aware is great but obsessive is no good.

mom2mozart

My husband and I talk to our boys all the time about making heathy choices - not eating too much junk and informing them that the result of eating too much junk will make them fat... They are 6 and 4. I don't think it is ever too early to have the knowledge. Obsession is another thing. Many young girls are obsessed with their weight and take it to extremes. Balance and moderation is healthy.

Danny_Boy13

I dont think that there is an age that is too young to worry about what you consume. Creating good habits early can save lots of frustrations years down the road. IMO just be basic if you are a young person that would like to feel good about yourself. I do not think that a preteen or young teen needs to count every single, cal, carb, fat, ect unless they are in need of some weight loss which if they are at that point that a doctor or dietician is usually involved. Just be basic for if you are young.

Athena413

I think this is somewhat like religion - there's kind of an age of accountability. Kids that are young and don't realize they're unhealthy or doing things to their body that they shouldn't be aren't aware of the consequences of their actions - it's at this point that the parents are responsible for the child. But at the point in time you realize that the way you eat and your activity level really do affect how you look, feel, etc...I think you're old enough to care about what you eat and what you do with your body. You can't really be held responsible for something you aren't aware of, but once you've been made aware, you'll have to account for your actions, whether that is having a fit, healthy body or being diabetic by the time you're 30...you choose. I definitely don't think high school age is too young, though.

dmcw19

I think that so many of us and the current young generation are clueless about nutrition and health, so being interested is good. But, remember that children and teens bodies are different than adults. So, being on mfp will give you our perspective. I think that if you want to use mfp to evaluate your diet with a nutrionist, that would be great. My son is only 10 and is starting to get interested in being healthier. I am going to have him track in mfp so that when we look at his diet, we can see where he is doing well and where he is lacking. When Mom tells you to eat more vegetables...it goes in one ear and out the other. But, if you are looking at it with a specialist, he may be more open to some healthier foods... I hope.
I commend you for being interested. Just make sure it is for the right reasons.

YummyTpn

As long as someone is still growing and developing, it's important to be mindful about weight loss, body image, etc. There is nothing wrong with being conscientious at a young age; as long as caloric and nutritional needs are being met for a growing body. It's not a bad idea to consult a nutritionist or knowledgable doctor about this. It's only a potential problem when it becomes obsessive and intereferes with daily living. For example, take a young girl who enjoyed being a dancer or a basketball player, but she quits what she loves because of her perceived body image ("I'm too fat, I'm not good enough) is an instance of someone's normal functioning being affected. I agree with those who have commented on the growing childhood obesity issues; we're not that far behind in canada.
I was 15 when I joined Weight Watchers because I wanted to lose 5lbs (I thought I was fat...now that I'm faced with losing 50, perspective has changed!) I don't think it was a bad thing though, as I learned a lot about food and nutrition, etc. As long as your body image stays healthy and positive no matter what the scale says, you'll be alright. If you find you're obsessing and cannot control your thoughts (and those thought tend to be critical and judgemental) about food and exercise, I suggest you talk to your doctor about a mental health referral.
Good luck and take care!

slimmersooner

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.

Good Advice.

BrendaLee

The fact is, if you're concerned about your weight, you're concerned about your weight. Once the seed is planted, there isn't much you can do about it. In an ideal world, kids and teens (and adults) would eat just enough of the right foods and everyone would be at an ideal weight. Since that's not the case, I think it's better to be aware of unhealthy eating habits at a younger age. I would say that once you're old enough to be in control of what you eat, then you're old enough to think about eating well.

If you have food issues now, they'll only get worse as you get older unless you get a grip on them at a young age, so it's good to be aware. It's hard not to obsess sometimes, but since being healthy is the most important thing, there are worse things to obsess about.

millikenhomeschool

The 10 year old daughter of a friend of mine was quite overweight. My friend had lots 50 pounds on weight watchers and began to take her daughter. This little girl has lost 15 pounds, learned so much about proper nutrition and has gained a greater self-confidence. I know her self-esteem did not suffer because of her parents, as they treat her with the same sweet love, they give to each of their children. But, you can see that she is now much more confident and feeling good about herself now that she has learned to live a healthier lifestyle with food.

hedgiie

my niece is just 5 years old when the doctor told her to control her eating by portions and calorie count. I think this has nothing to do with age but with the weight, as long as a person hits the overweight range then he should start as earliest

setharnab

I think after 30 every one should concern about their weight

Elizabeth_C34

Once you reach adulthood, it's your responsibility to take care of yourself and your health. I wish I had done that at 18. It's much harder to drop all the weight later and then try to maintain.

MountainMia

This topic made me think about my job as a public school teacher! When I was completing my student teaching during my undergrad, I was straight up APPALLED at what was being served to the students. A typical breakfast consisted of chocolate milk, a packaged, sugary breakfast item (huge glazed bear claws, 540 calories apiece, were the norm), a packaged bowl of sugar-drenched kiddie cereal, and a piece of fruit the students were required to take.

I was shocked that this was happening, so I did some research... turns out it all checked out because of the fruit the kids had to put on their tray every morning! I'll let you guess how many pieces of fruit actually got consumed each morning. The health and fitness teacher tried to fight it (valiantly) so, so many times but it was like yelling at a brick wall.

Does anyone currently have elementary-aged kids attending public school right now? I'd like to get some feedback on if/how well the First Lady's fitness initiatives are being implemented.

I don't want to hijack this thread, it's a good one. But can you start a new post about this? I'm furious and won't let my Kindergarden girl have the breakfast... she was getting 2. Mine and the schools. The luches are rediculous, I'd like to make cold lunches for her, but she would feel like it was punishment, I haven't worked out the healthier option myself yet, so I haven't pushed it. Things will be different next year. I'm seriously considering a charter school for a lot of other reasons, but NO school lunches is one of them. PM me or friend me if you want more feedback.