How can I talk to my child about his weight?

Before talking with your child or teen about weight, carefully review the following recommendations -- each is backed up with scientific research:

• Talk about “healthy weight.” Always emphasize the importance of being a healthy weight when talking with your child or teen. Categories such as overweight and obese are medical terms to discuss privately with your kid’s pediatrician and registered dietitian.
• Stay positive. Parents who criticize their sons and daughters about their weight are more likely to have overweight kids. Overweight kids probably know better than anyone else that they have a weight problem. What they need most is support, understanding, and encouragement.
• Give kids a hug. Tell your kids how special you think they are and how much you love them. Kids’ feelings about themselves are often based on how they think their parents feel about them.
• Focus on your family. Instead of singling out one particular child, make healthy eating and physical activity a family affair.
• All food can fit. Studies have found that restricting foods is associated with overweight in children. Instead of forbidding certain foods, help your child learn how to eat and enjoy all food in smaller portions.

When talking to your child about weight, it's important to choose the right time and emphasize good health, not looks. Pediatrician and childhood obesity expert Joanna Dolgoff, MD, discusses how family support and small changes make a big impact.