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Do you think parents should teach their kids how to count calories?
Replies
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Definitely. The more normalized CI/CO is, the less likely people are to be neurotic and have food issues by making simple math into an emotional issue.
How is it reasonable to put food on a different, untouchable plane than say, a bank balance? Is it reasonable to just spend money recklessly while ignoring the cash in/cash out rates? No.
edit: I would lead by example by in talking about what my TDEE is, how big a chunk of that some unit of food is, etc. Coaching for background awareness. Also, I don't trust "intuitive eating" as a lot of people are advocating, since the desire to eat is often a function of blood sugar crashing and boredom more than nutritional need.4 -
NO. I want them to eat when hungry. I control the foods that are available since I grocery shop. That is enough.0
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sugaraddict4321 wrote: »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.
Since the parent is the biggest factor in control of a kid's nutrition, then knowing about it is _part of the freaking job._
If a kid's TDEE is 1500 and the parent is feeding them 3000 repeatedly, then (surprise!) the kid's getting fat. What else would you call that?5 -
No! Making a child diet/count calories is child abuse. Also counting calories is not sustainable, it is better to teach children how to eat foods for nourishment.6
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thickspo91 wrote: »No! Making a child diet/count calories is child abuse. Also counting calories is not sustainable, it is better to teach children how to eat foods for nourishment.
No it's not abusive if done right. Sure, being insulting, denigrating, and making them feel bad about thier body and decisions is cruel. But teaching them how to eat healthy portions, how science, the human body and math work together for proper nutrition, and how to make decisions about thier bodies from a place of knowledge rather than what advertisers say is yummy, is empowering rather than abusive. Our job is to teach them, BEFORE they make the serioys mistskes,not wait until they get sick or hurt and then blame them for being a drain on society.8 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »We wanted our children to be able to tune into their hunger signals, and to that end, never forced meals on them or strictly imposed meal times.
I really wish my parents had done this. I remember being forced to eat everything on my plate when I wasn't hungry and getting yelled at if I didn't eat. Also I told my parents eggs made me feel sick but they thought I was was just being picky and forced me to eat them anyway--later allergy testing showed I actually am allergic. Allery testing also showed I'm allergic to milk but I was given a big glass with dinner and forced to drink it even when I complained that "my tummy hurt"--I spent so many nights waking up and puking and had so many rashes and skin irritations as a kid. Also I once got in trouble because I was so hungry in the afternoon that I stole lettuce and carrots from the garden to eat, but it wasn't meal time so I got punished for stealing food. I think that kind of stuff set me up for a lifetime of weird and disordered eating.6 -
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.
Maybe, but if the child had some other health threatening condition severe asthma, allergies, etc wouldn't most good parents learn as much about the issue as possible to take care of it? With the information available, not knowing and not taking steps to know is not caring IMO.0 -
TeacupsAndToning wrote: »When I have children I'd like to teach them about food how my parents did for me. I was taught that it was important to have a balanced diet and eat appropriate portions but my parents never spoke to me about calories or macros or anything like that. I want my future children to be children and to not worry about things like that. I'll worry about it for them.
at what point do you plan on letting them be adults, and will they be prepared at that point?7 -
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.
My OH's nephew's sophomore health class used MFP for a semester.
Using WW in my 30s was eye opening for me and I wish I'd obtained this knowledge earlier.1 -
TeacupsAndToning wrote: »4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »TeacupsAndToning wrote: »When I have children I'd like to teach them about food how my parents did for me. I was taught that it was important to have a balanced diet and eat appropriate portions but my parents never spoke to me about calories or macros or anything like that. I want my future children to be children and to not worry about things like that. I'll worry about it for them.
at what point do you plan on letting them be adults, and will they be prepared at that point?
I feel like you want me to say "NEVER!" I'll just lock them in the basement and never let them be free.
I want you to say whatever you want3 -
I did not teach my children about calories, far less about calorie counting.
I encouraged and provided mostly nutritious foods and encouraged physical activity.
My children are now all adults - I doubt any of them know how to count calories - but since they are all healthy weights I can't see that this matters at all.
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TeacupsAndToning wrote: »4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »TeacupsAndToning wrote: »When I have children I'd like to teach them about food how my parents did for me. I was taught that it was important to have a balanced diet and eat appropriate portions but my parents never spoke to me about calories or macros or anything like that. I want my future children to be children and to not worry about things like that. I'll worry about it for them.
at what point do you plan on letting them be adults, and will they be prepared at that point?
I feel like you want me to say "NEVER!" I'll just lock them in the basement and never let them be free.
Then they won't need to even know what a calorie is, they will eat whatever you leave inside the basement door, and your knowledge of nutrition will be sufficient
On a serious note, i think kids should first be introduced to a wide range of foods when very young, so they 'like' as much as possible. I don't think teaching them about CICO is important as a child. As they get older, teach them about the importance of a balanced diet and portion control, not about calories. We as parents, after all, are responsible for controlling the food they eat for the main part. I'd prefer my kids to enjoy the roast dinner I serve them, not stress over how many calories it contains
Lest we forget that many people don't even think about CICO and aren't overweight, and many people understand CICO perfectly well but are obese.2 -
I can't even get my kids to finish their meals. I think we're good on the calorie tracking.2
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4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »TeacupsAndToning wrote: »When I have children I'd like to teach them about food how my parents did for me. I was taught that it was important to have a balanced diet and eat appropriate portions but my parents never spoke to me about calories or macros or anything like that. I want my future children to be children and to not worry about things like that. I'll worry about it for them.
at what point do you plan on letting them be adults, and will they be prepared at that point?
I think there is a little bit more to preparing kids for adulthood than teaching them how to count calories1 -
ManBehindTheMask wrote: »4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »TeacupsAndToning wrote: »When I have children I'd like to teach them about food how my parents did for me. I was taught that it was important to have a balanced diet and eat appropriate portions but my parents never spoke to me about calories or macros or anything like that. I want my future children to be children and to not worry about things like that. I'll worry about it for them.
at what point do you plan on letting them be adults, and will they be prepared at that point?
I think there is a little bit more to preparing kids for adulthood than teaching them how to count calories
I agree. My response was to this:
" I want my future children to be children and to not worry about things like that. I'll worry about it for them."
To me, that implies more than just counting calories, I was more curious when to let children start worrying about things? Or what is the definition of child vs adult that goes with this? I was just looking for more info, but oh well....1 -
4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »ManBehindTheMask wrote: »4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »TeacupsAndToning wrote: »When I have children I'd like to teach them about food how my parents did for me. I was taught that it was important to have a balanced diet and eat appropriate portions but my parents never spoke to me about calories or macros or anything like that. I want my future children to be children and to not worry about things like that. I'll worry about it for them.
at what point do you plan on letting them be adults, and will they be prepared at that point?
I think there is a little bit more to preparing kids for adulthood than teaching them how to count calories
I agree. My response was to this:
" I want my future children to be children and to not worry about things like that. I'll worry about it for them."
To me, that implies more than just counting calories, I was more curious when to let children start worrying about things? Or what is the definition of child vs adult that goes with this? I was just looking for more info, but oh well....
I feel like if your initial response wasn't so abrupt, and asked these questions, you may have got an answer clarifying those points and not about locking a child in a basement
I think, as you've said, there is a big variable in the question when determining the definition of child vs adult etc.
It's all subjective after all and each person will raise their children in different ways.
I won't teach mine about CICO, but I have no doubt they will learn about it, from seeing me plan my nutritional intake, meal prep etc2 -
4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »ManBehindTheMask wrote: »4legsRbetterthan2 wrote: »TeacupsAndToning wrote: »When I have children I'd like to teach them about food how my parents did for me. I was taught that it was important to have a balanced diet and eat appropriate portions but my parents never spoke to me about calories or macros or anything like that. I want my future children to be children and to not worry about things like that. I'll worry about it for them.
at what point do you plan on letting them be adults, and will they be prepared at that point?
I think there is a little bit more to preparing kids for adulthood than teaching them how to count calories
I agree. My response was to this:
" I want my future children to be children and to not worry about things like that. I'll worry about it for them."
To me, that implies more than just counting calories, I was more curious when to let children start worrying about things? Or what is the definition of child vs adult that goes with this? I was just looking for more info, but oh well....
Probably not the place for me to say this, but I think counting calories is pretty frivolous, especially with children. I'd rather they worry about school, their friends, and other childish things. If we're doing things right as parents, I think our kids will have developed healthy eating habits so they'll never have to worry about counting calories. And I definitely don't want my daughter to develop an eating disorder over it.3 -
I think it's a good idea for kids to have a general understanding - a calorie is a unit of energy, it's important to fuel your body's activity, and to fuel it with mostly the "right" things. I definitely like the idea of helping kids listen to their hunger/satisfied signs (and I HATE the idea that kids should be made to "clean their plates.")
But counting calories, using a "budget", seems potentially problematic with children who are growing. The caloric needs of a growing kid aren't stable the way they are for an adult. I'm not scientific and I don't know how this works, exactly, but watching the way my kids go through "eating spurts" and "growth spurts" makes me think calorie-budgeting isn't appropriate for them. My 13-year-old probably eats 3000 calories a day for a short period of time, and then he grows a few inches practically overnight. That SEEMS to be the way his body signals are supposed to work. And he's never been even close to overweight, so I think it's best to go with the flow.1 -
Using the financial analogy do you plan on teaching your children to not spend more than they make and run into debt? I'm failing to grasp the logic behind not teaching your children to eat more than they need.
Anyone can take things to an extreme, but this is reliant on how the subject is taught as opposed to the subject matter itself.3 -
Ben_there_done_that wrote: »Probably not the place for me to say this, but I think counting calories is pretty frivolous, especially with children. I'd rather they worry about school, their friends, and other childish things. If we're doing things right as parents, I think our kids will have developed healthy eating habits so they'll never have to worry about counting calories. And I definitely don't want my daughter to develop an eating disorder over it.
I think the frivolity varies from person to person, some people are really good intuitive eaters (is this a response to how they were raised or just nature, I don't know) and do fine without it, but the number of times you see someone here saying "I am eating healthy or clean and cant lose weight" indicates it can be necessary for some folks. I guess its up to the parent to know their kid and point them in a direction right for them. I definitely agree that I would not introduce any kid that seems like they have a tendency towards an eating disorder to it. I think my parents strove to teach us to eat healthy, and in general I do from a balanced intake side of things, but I was still obese my entire life and it wasn't until I found calorie counting that I have ever felt I had any control over the situation. To some it is actually empowering, not just a stress.
ETA:
Another thing to think about, calorie counting may seem like a burden for a teen (I am thinking more middle school/HS age, as at this point they are more and more in control of their intake). But, as someone who was an overweight kid, being overweight is also a burden to bear. It may not be the right answer for all, but I think if done right teaching about calorie counting could help point them in the right direction.4 -
GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »He did gain a bit over the first winter when he moved to Seattle (from sunny San Jose, CA) but worked that out with some extra gym time.
Haha I live in Seattle and everyone I know gains 10ish lbs in the winter an loses it in the summer. The rainy season is no joke!0 -
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.
Not everyone has some great underlying issues that causes them to gain weight. I never had a weight problem growing up...I was a competitive athlete from 2nd grade through my senior year in multiple sports...after high school I went into the military and was in a combat ready unit and we were required to keep in good shape...when I went back to school afterwards, I remained pretty active since I didn't own a car for much of that time and walked and biked everywhere...worked retail or waited tables during the school year and did landscape construction in the summer.
I put on weight when I graduated college and took a job at a CPA firm working 12 hour days, 6 days per week and my activity level substantially decreased...but my eating remained pretty much the same. I didn't know much about calories, but I did know that I was eating more than I needed to given my activity level...I just didn't care.1 -
IMO calorie counting takes the back burner when it comes to children, that's something the parent should be worrying about. The main thing a child needs to be taught is that they need to be active ON A DAILY BASIS.1
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No, but like many others have said, teach them portion control and to eat healthy.0
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toned_thugs_n_harmony wrote: »IMO calorie counting takes the back burner when it comes to children, that's something the parent should be worrying about. The main thing a child needs to be taught is that they need to be active ON A DAILY BASIS.
Exactly this ^^^
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Using the financial analogy do you plan on teaching your children to not spend more than they make and run into debt? I'm failing to grasp the logic behind not teaching your children to eat more than they need.
Anyone can take things to an extreme, but this is reliant on how the subject is taught as opposed to the subject matter itself.
Agreed.
I think people are confusing teaching a concept with making the kid manage their own weight by accounting for every last calorie they eat.
Reading a nutritional label and the concept of eating an amount of energy appropriate for activity can be taught without ever having the child apply it to their own diet if that seems inappropriate. Make the teacher's diet the example. Use a famous athlete and their diet. Make a diet up out of thin air if you want to get even more abstract with it. Let the kid use some fad diet as a template and have them determine whether it is appropriate or not for the model you choose.
Lots of ways to teach without making it about the kids' current diet and activities.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »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.
Not everyone has some great underlying issues that causes them to gain weight. I never had a weight problem growing up...I was a competitive athlete from 2nd grade through my senior year in multiple sports...after high school I went into the military and was in a combat ready unit and we were required to keep in good shape...when I went back to school afterwards, I remained pretty active since I didn't own a car for much of that time and walked and biked everywhere...worked retail or waited tables during the school year and did landscape construction in the summer.
I put on weight when I graduated college and took a job at a CPA firm working 12 hour days, 6 days per week and my activity level substantially decreased...but my eating remained pretty much the same. I didn't know much about calories, but I did know that I was eating more than I needed to given my activity level...I just didn't care.
I don't think it has to be some "great underlying issue". Eating to the point of being overweight/obese and not caring or doing anything about it is in itself an issue, imo.3 -
Diet, nutrition and parenting is a big deal, and hard to know how to handle. I've read many articles one people blaming their parents (particularly mothers) for their eating disorders and/or obesity. This blame is justified. So as a parent, what do I do?
I've tried to emphasize not eating additional food when already full, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, being active, not over indulging on "treat" or "sometimes" foods, etc. I don't ever comment on my own body negatively in front of them (my husband will call himself fat in front of them which makes me angry, especially since he's not "fat" but just a few pounds over where he'd like to be). I rarely comment on their bodies (I have said they are too skinny sometimes and I know I shouldn't). They do see me measure my food and I've explained that food is energy measured in calories, and that if you eat too much your body will store it for later in the form of fat and that I just like to know how much energy I am eating. I hope I am doing it "right" but no one is perfect.3 -
BusyRaeNOTBusty wrote: »Diet, nutrition and parenting is a big deal, and hard to know how to handle. I've read many articles one people blaming their parents (particularly mothers) for their eating disorders and/or obesity. This blame is justified. So as a parent, what do I do?
I've tried to emphasize not eating additional food when already full, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, being active, not over indulging on "treat" or "sometimes" foods, etc. I don't ever comment on my own body negatively in front of them (my husband will call himself fat in front of them which makes me angry, especially since he's not "fat" but just a few pounds over where he'd like to be). I rarely comment on their bodies (I have said they are too skinny sometimes and I know I shouldn't). They do see me measure my food and I've explained that food is energy measured in calories, and that if you eat too much your body will store it for later in the form of fat and that I just like to know how much energy I am eating. I hope I am doing it "right" but no one is perfect.
Blaming is not a constructive activity if it doesn't result in a correction, corrective, or preventive action. Most parents did the best job they could with the tools and information at hand at that time. Our job is to take that information and improve upon the past.
The simple fact that you are involved with your children's lives and explaining it to your children makes it "right" from any perspective.4 -
toned_thugs_n_harmony wrote: »IMO calorie counting takes the back burner when it comes to children, that's something the parent should be worrying about. The main thing a child needs to be taught is that they need to be active ON A DAILY BASIS.
you forget however...you can be active and still gain weight...aka "you can't out run a bad diet"...I hate that term but you get what I mean.
That is why it's important to teach them other things not just calorie counting.
health, serving size etc.2
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