Mom and Dad are NOT HEALTHY!

I'm 24 and still live with my parents who in their late 50s. . . early 60s. My dad is older than mom and works a labor heavy job. Since he's on his feet all day and working so hard he has knee problems. My mom on the other hand is a cashier at a grocery store. Both my mom and dad are overweight. They buy and eat a lot of junkfood (ice cream, chips, etc) processed food (tv dinners). They buy soda like it's going out of style. I'm worried about their health because I'm so super health conscious and want to see them healthy and happy (and living a very long time)! Does anyone have any advice on how to help my parents be healthy????

EDIT: Not trying to FORCE THEM to be healthy by the way . . . I mentioned advice to HELP. . . thank you advance lol

You totally just described my parents! Down to their jobs! I'm concerned for their health too but no matter what I say or what example I lead it doesn't make them se it how I do. Just carry on what you're doing, they may catch on eventually but if they're like my parents then they might be too set in their ways.

Being healthy, like getting an education or working at a nonprofit, is a choice and I think it's one you really can't make for other people.

Maybe try being concerned about their happiness instead. Are they content? Safe? Happy?

In my case they are happy while stuffin their face then complain they are fat or get ill easy... my SD is suffering bad blood pressure, cholesterol, etc and doesnt help it. My mum is very unhappy with her appearance but doent really push to change thhat!

^ My mom and step father - exactly. I wish I knew what to say to get her to help herself...

Wow thanks for the advice. . . lol

I hope you didn't intend that to sound as snarky and hateful as it comes across. That was fair advice. "what you want to hear" =/="good advice".

I don't think anyone seriously thinks you're FORCING anything. It's obvious you're concerned about them, and it's natural to want to see someone else you care about feel as good as you do once you adopt healthy habits. You just have to be sure to keep in mind that your choices were made from your own mind and not because someone browbeat you about it. You should allow them the same.

That said, it doesn't mean you can't share the information you have available once in a while. Just try to do it in a non-confrontational way. I have a daughter who is headed on the fast track toward a very unhealthy lifestyle, but if I keep telling her "you need to do ---", she's going to dig in her heels even more. So I might offer to share a bite of a particularly tasty healthy recipe, or invite her on a walk with me. Sure, she might say no, but at least it gets her considering it, and, when she IS ready, she'll know who she can come to for help. Sometimes we kill more flies with honey than vinegar.

Umm yeah it was as "snarky" and "hateful" as the comment I was replying to. The statement of force came about thanks to the overwhelming amount of posts complaining I cannot FORCE anything on anyone. I appreciate the reply. I am in no way a rude and mean person who just yells at everyone around me to GET HEALTHY. I just occasionally go grocery shopping with Mom and Dad and see how much ice cream and soda they buy and TV dinners. I know soda isn't good for you. Have I said anything to them? No. I came on here first seeking advice about the situation beforehand. "Knowledge proceeds action," as the saying goes.

That DOES suck. I know I hate seeing my daughter bring home one 2-liter bottle of soda after another, to wash down her Little Debbie snacks, knowing full well what it's doing to her to have those as her main diet staples. I don't wish the weight problems I'm finally addressing on ANYONE, and certainly not my own child. But the sad fact is, she's not going to address it until she's damn good and ready. That said, it doesn't mean we have to stop trying to help! Best of luck to you. I hope they come around soon. It sounds like they only stand to benefit from a few healthy changes.

**Edited to add that the daughter in question is in her 20s, before someone wonders why I "allow" her to eat that way.

My brother started with the healthy eating thing before I did. He tried getting my dad to take better care of himself. My dad didnt want to hear it. He died last year of cancer (so the healthy eating probably would have been too little too late anyway) My mom still eats so much crap. Until she was in her late fifties she was as thin as a rail. Shes about 5"7 and was 108 lbs and ate whatever she wanted. The last 8 or so years she's really packed on the pounds. A few times she complained to me about it. I told her if she replaced tonic with water she'd probably cut out about 500-700 calories a day (she drinks quite a bit of tonic) she'd lose some weight. She started drinking Pepsi with a lime in it (cuz she doesnt consider that tonic!?!?!) and now eats ice cream DAILY.Shestill sometimes whined about being fat. I finally snapped at her and said "You know damn well why you're fat. Eithe r do something about it or don't I don't care but I am not listening to 'I don't know why I'm gaining so much weight!' " She still eats nothing but garbage but atleast she doesnt dare whine to me about being fat.

I guess what I'm saying is you can bring a horse to water but you cant make him drink.

The weird / annoying thing is I work a fulltime job until 5pm. My dad works like 3 hrs away and we both come home at the same time and he expects dinner when he gets home. So it's pretty impossible for me to make them a dinner unless he has patience to wait or if I make it, then freeze it. But I will bring the idea up to see if they are open to it. Seems like the easiest thing.

It might sweeten the deal if you offer to make their favorite things. For instance, my mom loves pasta, Tex-Mex, and watermelon. There are great healthy recipes out there for those things, and she'd never turn me down if I offered those to her. The other alternative is to offer to cook on your days off when he won't have to "wait" for you.

I think the problem is that you've got to want to and it may be that they don't want to. If they aren't bothered, then they will struggle to stick to it. Leading a healthier life is a lot of hard work and if just isn't that important to somebody (not just talking about your parents here), I think they will struggle