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Do you think parents should teach their kids how to count calories?
Replies
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Chef_Barbell wrote: »cturner1967 wrote: »...Why wait until they are adults and obese to say "oh yeah, you should totally try counting your calories. Sorry guess I should have brought that up a little sooner"? ... I wish some one would have taught me more about the importance of CICO.
Thank you Colt1835! It's a vicious cycle to start them on when they are just children. And of course, once they are obese and ignorant - society judges and looks down on them. TRAP.
You can know all about calories and still wind up obese.
Sure you can, but why limit information that might prevent that? You can know all about road safety and still get hit by a buss; should we not teach kids to look both ways before crossing the street?
It's simple math. They are required to do more complicated math in school. They can handle it.
No one said anything about limiting the information. I agree that they should know basic nutrition concepts that are age appropriate.1 -
Like many things in life I don't feel there is a "one size fits all" answer.
I think nutrition should definitely be talked about at home, but it needs to be done in a way that is age appropriate. I think something more along the "my plate" visual works better than discussing calories with young children to try to get them to incorporate colorful foods as some part of their intake. Then the discussion can deepen from there as they get older and can handle more information.
I believe calorie counting can be a very valuable tool, but it also easily leads to over restriction and obsession. When it comes to teens I definitely believe they are cognitively able to handle calorie counting, but, are they emotionally? I think this is where parents need to pay attention to and know their child. If I had a teen that displayed body image issues or a tendency to obsess over things I would be very reluctant to introduce them to calorie counting regardless of weight. If I had a confident teen who maybe wanted to get more into nutritional tracking because of the educational opportunity and see if they are eating in a well rounded way then I would support that.4 -
nissarayna wrote: »No. If we teach them to make healthy choices more often, they should never need to count calories.
My problem with this concept is that even "healthy" foods can easily lead to weight gain. Nuts have healthy fats in them and are great for you right? But I find them incredibly easy to over eat.
Similarly, I remember one of the most eye opening things for me when I started calorie counting was that many salads offered at restaurants have way more calories than a "big greasy fattening" hamburger. I personally have found that without being aware of calorie content making "healthy" choices can easily derail you.5 -
I been counting calories since I was 16. Srs. I am 19 now and still counting.0
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Chef_Barbell wrote: »cturner1967 wrote: »...Why wait until they are adults and obese to say "oh yeah, you should totally try counting your calories. Sorry guess I should have brought that up a little sooner"? ... I wish some one would have taught me more about the importance of CICO.
Thank you Colt1835! It's a vicious cycle to start them on when they are just children. And of course, once they are obese and ignorant - society judges and looks down on them. TRAP.
You can know all about calories and still wind up obese.
Even if it does not prevent obesity, if taught well and correctly it can provide a very useful tool if they wind up needing it. I was taught about calories very effectively and I did end up obese, but once I decided to do something about it I did not jump from fad diet to another. I headed straight to calories. My first attempt at weight loss ended up being a successful one because I had the knowledge and the tools to distinguish between proper and bad information.6 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »Chef_Barbell wrote: »cturner1967 wrote: »...Why wait until they are adults and obese to say "oh yeah, you should totally try counting your calories. Sorry guess I should have brought that up a little sooner"? ... I wish some one would have taught me more about the importance of CICO.
Thank you Colt1835! It's a vicious cycle to start them on when they are just children. And of course, once they are obese and ignorant - society judges and looks down on them. TRAP.
You can know all about calories and still wind up obese.
Even if it does not prevent obesity, if taught well and correctly it can provide a very useful tool if they wind up needing it. I was taught about calories very effectively and I did end up obese, but once I decided to do something about it I did not jump from fad diet to another. I headed straight to calories. My first attempt at weight loss ended up being a successful one because I had the knowledge and the tools to distinguish between proper and bad information.
Just to build on this a little bit, part of (IMO) being a successful parent is providing your kids with what they will need to be successful in life. But, you cant control them. Give them the tools, it's up to them to use them. They probably won't in their younger years because they know everything, but maybe they will come back to them later?4 -
amusedmonkey wrote: »Chef_Barbell wrote: »cturner1967 wrote: »...Why wait until they are adults and obese to say "oh yeah, you should totally try counting your calories. Sorry guess I should have brought that up a little sooner"? ... I wish some one would have taught me more about the importance of CICO.
Thank you Colt1835! It's a vicious cycle to start them on when they are just children. And of course, once they are obese and ignorant - society judges and looks down on them. TRAP.
You can know all about calories and still wind up obese.
Even if it does not prevent obesity, if taught well and correctly it can provide a very useful tool if they wind up needing it. I was taught about calories very effectively and I did end up obese, but once I decided to do something about it I did not jump from fad diet to another. I headed straight to calories. My first attempt at weight loss ended up being a successful one because I had the knowledge and the tools to distinguish between proper and bad information.
Key point right there. Not many seem to be able to do that for themselves much less teach a young mind how to properly and successfully.0 -
Chef_Barbell wrote: »amusedmonkey wrote: »Chef_Barbell wrote: »cturner1967 wrote: »...Why wait until they are adults and obese to say "oh yeah, you should totally try counting your calories. Sorry guess I should have brought that up a little sooner"? ... I wish some one would have taught me more about the importance of CICO.
Thank you Colt1835! It's a vicious cycle to start them on when they are just children. And of course, once they are obese and ignorant - society judges and looks down on them. TRAP.
You can know all about calories and still wind up obese.
Even if it does not prevent obesity, if taught well and correctly it can provide a very useful tool if they wind up needing it. I was taught about calories very effectively and I did end up obese, but once I decided to do something about it I did not jump from fad diet to another. I headed straight to calories. My first attempt at weight loss ended up being a successful one because I had the knowledge and the tools to distinguish between proper and bad information.
Key point right there. Not many seem to be able to do that for themselves much less teach a young mind how to properly and successfully.
Yeah, as a "not" mother I want to say that this is the approach I would take but I don't know how to teach them "well and correctly". I wasn't taught these things growing up and I had to learn a lot along the way. Not saying it can't be done, I just don't feel like I know how to do it in the first place.0 -
Heather4448 wrote: »I think nutrition classes should be a mandatory part of health education in middle and high schools. It could be tied in to math/science SOL's. Personally, I would have benefited greatly by receiving a non-judgmental, science based approach to ci/co.
Great idea, except when the nutrition classes give bad info. I was raised in the "butter = bad, margarine = good, and fat makes you fat" era. We went over the food pyramid and all that stuff. A few decades on the recommendations have changed.xmichaelyx wrote: »No, but you should teach them to eat sensibly.
Obese child = abusive parent.
Disagree. I think many times obese child = parent that doesn't know much about nutrition. Not knowing and not caring are different things, at least to me.5 -
No.
But it depends on what age we are talking about.
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cturner1967 wrote: »SusanMFindlay wrote: »That's nice in theory, but some people don't get the normal "you're full" signals due to hormonal issues.
Yes, great in theory. Thank you Susan for your comment.
I hope that you remove your comment. It is incredibly hurtful and insensitive.xmichaelyx wrote: »Obese child = abusive parent.
Does anyone here actually have children with weight-related health issues? I do. I have a child who grows twice as fast as other children and who is carrying +40 lbs too much at 10 years old. We are desperately trying to get to the bottom of it. She is starving all the time and eats healthier than all of her peers. We have been to doctors and are working with a personal trainer to try to get a calorie deficit.
My teen dd is underweight and needs to gain some weight.
She needs more calories than I do. Knowing calories of food/drinks and having a definite healthy calorie goal is helpful in our case too instead of vaguely saying eat healthy and exercise. If she was always at a healthy weight it would probably seem less necessary to count calories. If she were younger then she would probably just be eating what I hand her. I would keep track of calories and we wouldn't talk about tracking calories as much with her. As a teen who can obtain her own food/drinks and will be on her own in a couple of years though I think she needs to know how to maintain a healthy weight and take more responsibility. She knows I keep a food diary for my weight management so it isn't a crazy shameful concept. She probably won't need to track calories forever but knowing how to determine her own calorie needs and tracking diet/exercise is a valuable tool she can come back to as needed.
There seems to be a fear that children will not be able to use the knowledge appropriately and be harmed even though in reality an adult teaching calorie counting to a child would likely be working with them to choose appropriate goals and provide guidance.
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Absolutely and we are slowly introducing our kids to this, particularly on how much kids need to eat to maintain growth and healthy development. We are teaching them how to set goals, establish strategic plans, tactical implementation and goal resetting.
There is nothing intuitive to hunger and eating to maintain a set weight. Calorie counting makes for an excellent tool to accomplish goals.1 -
Yes. I've already shown my son my food scale and how to calculate a serving. Too many people have no clue.
I'm teaching him how to balance his bank account, too. Same thought process.6 -
Age appropriate nutritional information? Sure. Physically counting calories and logging...no. I'm just trying to picture my 7 and 5 year old keeping a food diary...and frankly, the number calorie counting ultimately did to my head I'd be pretty leery about doing that to a kid.
My kids have a good general grasp of many aspects of nutrition and they see how mom and dad eat and they see us exercise and they are active, etc. They both eat when they're hungry and are done when they've had enough.0 -
Weighing and knowing portion sizes is fine, but unless there's a weight issue, counting calories doesn't seem the best option for growing kids. Especially since they have a tendency to go through phases where they need a ton of extra calories for a few days to support a growth spurt, and those can be kind of unpredictable.0
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I am doing many things differently than my parents (clean your plate, only eat at mealtimes, very limited treats). We've had several discussions about the connections between food and energy supply, eg we eat to fuel our bodies so they can grow properly and so that we have enough energy to run around and play.
We have chips, cookies, candy and ice cream in the house almost all the time and they can have some if they ask and it's an appropriate time for a snack. Either I got lucky and they just naturally aren't interested or its working how I hoped and they don't view treat-food as an opportunity to gorge themselves. They mostly aren't interested.
I've explained how calories work and how eating more than they need leads to storage as fat and less than they need as leading to low energy and loss of muscle in general terms. So far we haven't gone beyond the concepts.0 -
Depends on the kid. Depends on the age. Depends on the situation. They should know it by the time they graduate high school, but specifically is a good time to learn it would differ.
I wouldn't teach it to a kid that's displaying any degree of obsession over his/her body. Which means I don't think smack in the middle of pubescence is a good time for it for most. There are always exceptions. If the kid's advanced enough, I'd teach it earlier, if not I'd wait until they get past the worst of the raging hormones and excessive body consciousness.
The exception would be if the kid's weight is putting their health at risk (including mental health). In that case, I'd teach them regardless of age and view it like teaching them about any disease treatment. Not necessary unless they are diagnosed, but if they are, knowledge helps a kid through the process. Gives them more of a sense of involvement and control. And I would hope that someone is intervening in that case.2 -
I thought about this as I didn't want to give my kid a complex. But why wouldn't you give a child all the information about food. I explained about equivalent energy content. I.e. You could choose a croissant, it has the same energy gn it as a glass of juice, yoghurt, some fruit and honey and a piece of toast etc. Then they can make informed choices. Not counting calories per se, but understanding food and making informed choices.1
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sugaraddict4321 wrote: »Heather4448 wrote: »I think nutrition classes should be a mandatory part of health education in middle and high schools. It could be tied in to math/science SOL's. Personally, I would have benefited greatly by receiving a non-judgmental, science based approach to ci/co.
Great idea, except when the nutrition classes give bad info. I was raised in the "butter = bad, margarine = good, and fat makes you fat" era. We went over the food pyramid and all that stuff. A few decades on the recommendations have changed.xmichaelyx wrote: »No, but you should teach them to eat sensibly.
Obese child = abusive parent.
Disagree. I think many times obese child = parent that doesn't know much about nutrition. Not knowing and not caring are different things, at least to me.
At one time it was taught the earth was flat because that was the best information available. Scientific information will change as more research is done. No reason not to learn the current thinking.3 -
Should we teach our kids how to budget? Adding up numbers is really emotionally charged and controversial! Personally, I think we should just teach healthy spending habits... if you teach kids how to balance a checkbook and save and invest money, you might give them some kind of a complex or psychological disorder!8
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Educating your children in nutrition is the right and responsible thing to do. With young children you can have them color in a food guide pyramid to learn about serving sizes for kids and its a great conversation starter to what fruits and veggies are and it helps you understand your childdren's unique taste. Sugar should be addressed and talked about as well as moderation and what that is. Keeping our bodies healthy--never too young to learn. Calories are just a small part of the big picture and as kids grow you can get more in depth including the chemistry behind what your body is doing and how it breaks down proteins, carbs and lipids.1
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I don't think it matters either way.
I started counting calories at 11 or 12. I was overweight and my mother (and doctor) were okay with me counting calories. I lost the weight, but years later I gained weight. Then, this started a yo-yo cycle of me losing and regaining weight.
So here's the thing: counting calories doesn't fix whatever is causing a child/teen/adult/whoever to be overweight/obese. I've pretty much always understood about calories, but counting calories and knowing how to do so is a tool for losing weight.
It doesn't address the problems that cause the weight gain. I think this is why a lot of people regain weight they've lost. It's not enough to understand how to lose weight or maintain it. You have to address the issue that is causing the weight gain in the first place.3 -
I don't think I'd personally have my 7 and 9 yo tracking their days but I do have a 'sometimes' cupboard where my kids get to pick 150 cals of candy or cookies from each day of the weekend. Some people think it's crazy, but I don't see it as much different than giving them $20.00 to spend at the Flea Market once a month. They look at all the stuff they can get with what they have, and they spend according to their tastes. I think I'm teaching them a life skill but I can see why people (especially on a weight loss forum) would see it as negative.4
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teaching them about healthy foods and nutrition is one thing...but "Healthy" foods can make you fat too.
Teaching them to read food labels is important.
Teaching them what a "serving" represents is important.
Teaching them how to maintain their weight is important.
If you teach them these things they won't have to count calories or need to know how.
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wackyfunster wrote: »Should we teach our kids how to budget? Adding up numbers is really emotionally charged and controversial! Personally, I think we should just teach healthy spending habits... if you teach kids how to balance a checkbook and save and invest money, you might give them some kind of a complex or psychological disorder!
Now that I think about it, I talk to my kids about money pretty much the same was as about food. You have amounts that you choose how to spend or save, and you overall keep track of surpluses and deficits.
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Seeing how all mine are under the age of 10, the idea of having them count calories is insane. I do however talk to them about the food choices they make and what serving sizes are, be it when I'm making their food, or when they watch me make my own.
As for the comment "obese child = abused child" , wow! You must be a peachy person to have a conversation with.1 -
I don't think it matters either way.
I started counting calories at 11 or 12. I was overweight and my mother (and doctor) were okay with me counting calories. I lost the weight, but years later I gained weight. Then, this started a yo-yo cycle of me losing and regaining weight.
So here's the thing: counting calories doesn't fix whatever is causing a child/teen/adult/whoever to be overweight/obese. I've pretty much always understood about calories, but counting calories and knowing how to do so is a tool for losing weight.
It doesn't address the problems that cause the weight gain. I think this is why a lot of people regain weight they've lost. It's not enough to understand how to lose weight or maintain it. You have to address the issue that is causing the weight gain in the first place.
But again, it depends on the individual. There are plenty of people that gain weight simply because their activity level decreases and they fail to compensate by eating fewer calories. I fit in this category. No issues to fix other than eating a more moderate diet. No particular drive to overeat other than 'hey, that looks tasty'.
Also, some might not develop deeper issues with food if they were taught how to recognize appropriate eating habits early on. I don't think anyone would argue that this would fix everything, though. As long as people have food abundantly available, there will always be some that overeat.0 -
teaching them about healthy foods and nutrition is one thing...but "Healthy" foods can make you fat too.
Teaching them to read food labels is important.
Teaching them what a "serving" represents is important.
Teaching them how to maintain their weight is important.
If you teach them these things they won't have to count calories or need to know how.
Agree. I think the important thing is to teach them a healthy balance, serving sizes, etc.0 -
My son is 16 and most days he runs a quick estimate in his head about his calories (using me as his database). He does it mainly because he is lifting and wants to bulk a bit so just makes sure he's had enough to eat.
Also he's been avoiding less nutritional foods since I got into mfp (without any interference from my side other than me being able to answer questions about nutrition)
Knowledge is power and freedom. Don't deprive your children of it.
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Not maybe to count calories but to be portion aware - all too often the kids are given similar size portions to the grown ups (I sort of did that myself I have to admit, but I was clueless way back).
Nutritional value would be a good idea and for kids to know that some foods are best kept to a minimum - they can be enjoyed of course, but only now and again.
People in general need educated about food imo.
Being on here really enlightened me about food/calories - I just wish younger self would have known what I know now.0
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