European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 04, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Monday november 4, 1985 the stars and stripes Page 17 a helping the fat child break the Cycle of overeating and rejection by Jane e. Brody new York times t he special pain of being a at child in world that worships thinness is hard Lor Man adults to a significant percentage of overweight children Are not unhappy and participate unimpeded in Normal childhood activities. Many others Sutler the censure of their Peers their parents and even themselves. The resulting loneliness and Idle hours simply add to their problems. With nothing better to do. They sit Home and watch television and yes eat. Parent May Axa Sorbat the situation in one of two ways. Some encourage overweight children to eat More than they should by using fattening foods As bribes and rewards for desired behaviour and by leaving such foods around the House As a constant source of temptation. Other parents undermine their children s already Haky self image and self control by nagging them about bad eating habits and by registering disgust Over the youngsters size. That vow Wight can be damaging to a child s physical As Well As emotional health is evident from recent studies. The american health foundation in Valhalla. N.y., has found through its know your body program Lor example that overweight children Are prom to elevated blood pressure and High serum cholesterol. A recently published five year study in 1,598 children conducted by the Louisiana state University medical Center showed that even As Young As age 5. An increased risk of developing heart disease is evident in Many obese children. Or. David Freedman. Director of the study said that about 10 percent of american children can be classified As obese meaning they Are at least 20 percent heavier than they should be Lor their height. In ancient times when periods of feast altered with famine such a storage mechanism was a survival advantage. Today with virtually no risk of famine in american society it is a decided social and health disadvantage. Still there the serious concern about the effects on some Chi Jiei i of social pressure to stay children May if to drawn unhappy not. Children and weight a changing perspective which was published this past summer by nutrition communications associates of Berkeley Calif. 11 specialists on the subject concluded that Many Young children and teen agers both overweight and of Normal weight Are being wrongly encouraged to control their weight through very Low calorie diets or excessive exercise regimens. The expert committee which included seven nutritionists from the University of California at Berkeley and at Sari Francisco said that these weight reduction methods fall More often than they succeed and prompt an increasing number of youngsters to turn to More drastic measures such As self starvation anorexia and induced vomiting bulimia to lose weight. The nutrition mid also that stringent weight control measures during a child s developmental years can retard growth development and sexual maturity and Start the youngster on a lifelong Seesaw of weight gain and loss which can be More detrimental to physical and mental health than remaining overweight. A far More intelligent approach to childhood obesity involves a reformation in eating and exercise habits that permits a child to live a reasonably Normal life while gradually achieving a Normal weight that can to maintained for a lifetime without a sense of constant deprivation and self denial. Although caloric intake will doubtless need to be reduced the reductions Are modest to perhaps 1,500 calories a Day depending on the child s age and size. Rather than on numbers the emphasis should be on food choices and eating patterns choosing foods lower in fats n id sugar and higher in fiber substituting fruits and Frozen Ulce bars for Candy and ice Cream eating three meals a Day meal skipping Only encourages overindulgence at later meal selecting wholesome Low calorie snacks a buffered Popcorn Rice crackers fruit raw vegetables with a Low fat dip and avoiding irresistible temptations whenever feasible especially by keeping undesirable foods out of the House and choosing restaurants that Otter Low calorie options. In a new Book thin kids Beaufort books $9.95. Mindy Cohen and Louis Abramson. Who conduct an innovative weight control program for children in clinics in new Jersey emphasize that weight loss in children must be a family affair. Together children and their parents evolve an eating and exercise plan that is relatively painless for All concerned. Among their tips to parents Are the following make sure to Tell your child that you love him or her. Whether heavy or thin and that your love and respect Are not conditional on weight loss. Help your child identify the problem times and places when it comes to food. If hunger tends to strike right after school make sure the refrigerator and cupboard Are stocked with healthful Low calorie edibles. Serve smaller portions on smaller plates put away leftovers alter serving the meal and Don t offer seconds. To slow Down eating so that satisfaction has a Chance to Register before too much food is consumed you might encourage the child to eat with chopsticks or a Pickle Fork. Start the meal with a Low calorie soup or a salad with a Low calorie dressing and Don t insist that your child eat everything on the plate. Avoid scolding or teasing the child when the youngster Falls off the weight loss Wagon. This undermines the child s self control and induces guilt shame or anger which can aggravate an eating problem. Above All Sot a Good example by adopting healthy eating and exercise habits yourself. Most weight problems Are environmental not genetic. Parents children even the family dog tend to have similar eating habits and weight problems. Erma Bombeck for years those of us with children growing Upin the 70s and Bof those of us who still have All our marbles that the have been try ing to break the code of communication. I would have been easier to break into the computer Bank of american express. Something happened during those years that Sepa rated parents from their children by language. We All talked but we did t understand one another. A Mother from Missouri has made possibly the biggest breakthrough m years. She says it s All semantics. It i say living with one another without marriage is living Nisla pm put Down As archaic. On the other hand Iii say. Such an arrangement is not truly meaningful because it takes no real commitment i am listened i an Aflalo becomes a a Knock Down drag out fight is referred to As a of special needs and a woman who cleans i own House is trapped in a traditional a few years ago we had a kid living at Home who had no curiosity whatsoever about Money or where it came from. There was t a Day that went by that we did t mention the word of. He looked at us like we were speak ing another language. I approached him one Day in the Kitchen with a limited vocabulary of his generation. So. How Are you coming at mainstreaming your talents for the ii St time Ever he did not run away. Is there a problem a asked. I just not fid your conspicuous consumption of food has peaked a id your aggression level is on he Studd me or a moment. Actually i m in a selection is it of Methling you d like to share to Are was an and for a Street construction Job but it l fulfilment without gratification is just the tip of the iceberg i said. Boy. In t that the truth. Choices. That s what life is All have you tried networking i asked. Negative. There s no real esteem there you know what i mean i know exactly. Pressure without upward mobility is just another meaningless expression of verbal you really do understand Don t you he said softly. I have always said Challenge without Inadequacy is the social glue that holds us All he smiled and looked at me. Boy mom i never dreamt you knew How i Felt. If we had had this dialogue 10 years ago maybe we would have had a better relationship with one another. I m going to try what you i would have Given anything to know what i had just said. C lot aft of Tim a Syndicate
