Young People and Diets

[flutemj]

It is the responsibility of parents to educate their children to eat sensibly and take care of their health. But how do you respond if a child wants to diet rather than just watch what they eat?

[Unbelievable]

Neither diet nor being careful with what you eat can be bad for your health, so I think that you should let the child chose his way of life in what food is concerned. Notwithstanding the parents need to educate their children in such a manner that the kids understand the importance of healthy living.

[flutemj]

I was concerned about the pressure on young girls to look excessively thin and the possibility that a diet can become an obsession and lead to anorexia or bulimia. It seems that young people are especially vulnerable to this.

[crisp]

Yes, i think parents should teach their children that a healthy diet is important.
I saw this from my dad.. He was very fat some years ago and kept trying to diet and everything, but it was for nothing, because he kept eating junk food from time to time.
Seeing that he just cannot lose weight got me thinking: a healthy diet is important.
Despite all of this, i too got fat :D Now i try and lose the extra weight and now i see how hard it can be.

[Justontime]

I think I would encourage a teenager to eat sensibly and build up regular exercise rather than to go on a strict diet. They are still growing and they usually lead busy lives so they need energy, but they also need good habits for the future so healthy eating is important. I would watch closely because some people do get obsessed with dieting and this can become a health issue.