In my last post, “First, do no harm,” I shared two examples of families struggling to balance their healthcare professionals’ concerns about the prevention of childhood obesity with their need to raise children with high self-esteem and a healthy attitude toward nutrition and physical activity.  

This is a critical issue because the wrong approach makes the problem worse, not better. In a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine in November 2007, the investigators reported that weight-teasing by family, personal weight concerns and dieting/unhealthy weight-control behaviors “strongly and consistently” predicted being overweight, binge eating, and engaging in extreme weight-control behaviors after 5 years.

Now, I want to share Six Steps for a Family-Centered Approach to Healthy Lifestyles: 

1. Cherish your children by making sure that your home is a place of unconditional love and acceptance – no matter what they may face in the outside world. 
2. Don’t overrule your child’s hunger and fullness signals. They were born with the instinctive ability to eat the right amount of food so don’t force feed them or make them clean their plate. 
3. Focus on choices, not numbers. Instead of talking about weight, clothing size, calories, fat grams or other external means of control, talk about the importance of making decisions that nourish and fuel a fulfilling life.
4. Remember, all foods fit into a healthy diet. Never make certain foods “bad” or “forbidden” since that only increases their desirability and leads to guilt and overeating. Instead, teach balance, variety and moderation.
5. Make time for regular enjoyable physical activity and play time as a family. NEVER equate exercise with punishment for eating.
6. Share regular family meals – even if its pizza (more on this in my next post).

 (For information about Dr. Michelle May’s keynote, “A Family-Centered Approach to Healthy Lifestyles” please visit http://www.michellemaymd.com/keynotes-workshops.shtml)