Protect Your Children from Diet Culture!

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As a dietitian, I’ve heard a lot of diet talk through the years. Diet culture is all around us. Hopes of weight loss, new goals, new diets. While I’d like everyone to just stop dieting already, I realize that likely won’t happen! But if you’re not ready to give up dieting just yet, I’d like to warn you about talking about your diet in front of your children. Here’s how to protect your children from diet culture.

Your Kids Are Watching You

Our kids learn by our guidance and by mimicking our actions. Eating is typically a social event in our homes. When they see us labeling foods as “good”, “bad”, “clean”, “healthy”, “unhealthy”, etc., they do the same. We start this from a very young age. Good behavior is rewarded with a “treat”. We make a big deal out of eating their vegetables. We tell them sugar is “bad” for them. This makes food more than just food. Moral judgment is attached to food. Now when they have eaten broccoli, they are “good”, if they have eaten sugar, they are “bad”.

I have seen this moral judgment continue into adulthood. Unfortunately, I can’t begin to count how many of my client appointments started with, “Well, I was bad this past week”, or “I’m going to be better this week”. And they weren’t confessing a true crime, like burglary or arson! They were talking about how they ate. Have you ever felt guilty for eating certain foods? How does it impact your food choices?

Your kids see when you avoid certain foods/food groups, when you make special foods just for you, when you have a “cheat” day. They see all of these behaviors and believe them to be normal. Do you want your child to diet someday? Want them to think that is just the way moms eat?

Raising a Healthy Eater

Healthy eating isn’t just about the food. It is also about the thoughts and behaviors that surround the food. We can teach them that certain foods can offer many nutrients to make us grow, give us energy, boost our immune system, etc., without calling them “good”. Likewise, we can offer “play” foods (rather than “junk” food or “bad” food) that they can enjoy without feeling like it is a forbidden food.

At mealtime, offer a variety of foods, and withhold comments about what they are choosing to eat. You choose your meal from the same foods. No special meal for Mom! And eat together. Family mealtime is a great time for family conversation and actually improves the mental health and well-being of your child.

For more resources on child feeding, I love Ellyn Satter. She explains in her book, Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family: How to Eat, How to Raise Good Eaters, How to Cook, that as parents, we have a responsibility to decide what, where, and when we feed a child. The child can choose how much and whether they will eat. The more we try to manipulate and pressure, the more the child resists.

Avoid Negative Body Image Talk

The next thing to consider is if you are exposing your children to negative body image talk. Do you make comments that degrade your body? Ever openly wish for less fat, a lower weight, a smaller size? Or, do you comment on the bodies of others?

We don’t want our children to believe that their worth is tied up in their weight on the scale. Nor do we want them to think their body isn’t good enough. Alternately, we want our children to know it is the inner spirit that is important. So, do we believe that? Is our focus on cultivating a beautiful inner spirit, or a smaller body?

Positive Body Talk

Is it possible you could point out the good your body can do? Like how you birthed your child, fought off the flu, or walked through Disney? I’m sure there are many ways you can be grateful for your body. I challenge you to think of at least 3. Say them out loud. Explain to your child that your body can do amazing things! Not only will your child benefit, but you will eventually defeat the negative voice in your head.

Protect Your Children from Diet Culture

Dieting is something many are considering. As a result, diet is the topic of many discussions. While I encourage you to stop dieting, I know that not everyone is ready to do so. If you decide to continue dieting, please protect your children from your diet culture.

If you are sick of the bingeing and restricting cycle, tired of guilt, and feel exhausted by another Monday, let me help. I can help you finally make peace with food. Enjoy ALL foods while managing your health conditions. Book today to start healing your relationship with food.

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