It’s happening! My girls are growing up and like many moms, it’s happening faster than I would like.

My oldest will be a 5th grader next year. It’s a tricky time for young girls who are just growing into their bodies. For many girls this is when the struggle for self-confidence begins as kids want to fit in.  Unfortunately, it’s also the time eating disorders can start.

As I was preparing to write this blog, I thought I’d do a little research to support my theory. I thought a statistic might be helpful to show just how big of a problem this really is.  Oh my gosh, the statistics are staggering! One after another made my heart sink.  According to the Eating Disorder Foundation…

• One half of 4th grade girls are on a diet.
• 81% of ten-year-old girls are afraid of being fat.
• A study found that adolescent girls were more fearful of gaining weight than getting cancer, nuclear war or losing their parents.
• 52% of girls begin dieting before age 14

It makes me sad to think of girls judging their bodies and falling into bad habits so young. I can completely relate because I know what that’s like.  I was the same way, thinking that simply being skinny meant I was healthy. I used to see nothing wrong with following diets.  Wow, what was I thinking? We need to create a mental shift for our kids. It’s time to stop the cycle of yo-yo dieting and misinformed health choices that we adults have spent years trying to get out of. There are several ways parents can help reverse the increase in childhood obesity and help their children lose weight safely. [Read more…]