Isn’t it healthy to be mindful of your weight and to help your kids do so?

Research shows that focusing on weight does not contribute to healthier lifestyles. It’s also important to remember that size does not equate health.  If health is what we are concerned about, we need to keep the focus on health.

Health and overall well-being are a result of many factors. When we focus on weight, we both contribute to disordered behaviors (both related to eating, exercise, etc.) and miss the point!  The point is we want our kids to feel GOOD.

Many factors contribute to an individual’s well-being: relationships that foster connections, hobbies that show/remind us who we are, physical activity that invigorates and refreshes our minds and bodies, learning new things, taking on a challenge and succeeding, time in nature/outside, etc. When we shift our focus away from weight, we can instead consider all the individual’s circumstances and help ourselves and the kids increase our overall well-being. Learn more here.

Are you looking for more practical tips and information on how to focus on health and well-being with your kids? Check out our Learn What to Say video.

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Additional Resources on Weight Talk:

• What is weight talk?
• Why is it so important to not talk about weight with judgment?
• Aren’t we all just being a bit too sensitive? shouldn’t we instead be helping our kids to not take everything so personally?
• What do I say instead of weight talk?