Blog Archive
Posts for Parents
It can feel unsettling when a doctor tells you your child needs to lose or gain weight. You want to trust your provider. You also want to protect your child’s physical and mental health. And in a culture that constantly focuses on weight, it can be hard to know what the right next step is.
If you’ve ever paused before speaking to a child and wondered, "Is this the right thing to say?", you’re not alone. Kids are always listening. Not just to what we say to them, but to what we say about food, bodies, and ourselves. Those everyday comments at the table, in the car, or during the…
Parents can help kids learn about nutrition without adding pressure or tying food choices to appearance. The key is framing food around what it does for the body—energy, growth, concentration, overall health—while still leaving room for kids to enjoy eating and notice how different foods make them feel. Over time, that approach builds habits they'll…
Comments about weight show up in everyday life more often than we realize. They slip into compliments, jokes, health conversations, and even the way adults talk about their own bodies. Most of the time, these comments are unintentional, shaped by the language many of us grew up hearing. For kids, though, these moments matter.
Worried about how a young athlete feels about food and their body? You're not alone. Athletes hear constant messages about food, body, and performance, and these influences can shape how they see themselves.
Wanting your child to be healthy is reasonable. But teaching them to monitor their weight is not necessary to support that goal. Weight can be one piece of medical information, but it does not tell the whole story of a child’s health. At home, focusing on habits, well-being, and how your child feels can support…
Being thoughtful about weight, dieting, and body talk around your child is not being too sensitive, and it does not teach your child to be fragile. These messages can shape how kids think about food, health, and their bodies, while eating disorders can have serious and even deadly consequences.
What does healthy mean for kids? It means supporting their physical and emotional well-being without steering them toward a particular weight, size, or appearance. Parents can focus on offering a variety of foods, making movement enjoyable, encouraging body respect, and helping children learn to trust themselves.
How can you help your child follow medically necessary dietary restrictions without creating fear or stress around food? Treat the restrictions as a normal part of caring for their health, explain them in clear and neutral language, and keep food rules limited to what their condition actually requires.
Helping kids make healthy food choices at school can feel tricky. How do you support them without adding pressure, guilt, or strict food rules?
How do you encourage your kids to learn to have a healthy relationship with food & their bodies? That's what Dr Katie Loth discusses in today's video.
Boys can struggle with body image even when they do not talk about it openly. As a parent, you can help by watching for changes in eating or exercise, listening without judgment, and avoiding comments that place value on body size or muscularity. If these concerns cause distress or begin interfering with daily life, reach…