Just as concerning as the rise in childhood obesity is the rising number of children — even very young children — who are obsessed with being thin.

“We see children as young as 6 years old complaining that their stomachs stick out, or bragging about having the chicken pox because it means going to bed without dinner, which means fewer calories,” says Carolyn Costin, director of The Eating Disorder Center of California and the Monte Nido Treatment Center. “Kids see their moms and dads dieting and they want to diet too, even if they don’t need to.”

While not every child dissatisfied with his or her appearance will develop an eating disorder like bulimia or anorexia nervosa, a poor body image can have a serious, long-term impact on a child’s emotional well-being. So how do you help your daughter or son develop a healthy, realistic body image in a society obsessed with thin and beautiful?

Costin offers some advice:

Know the Signs of a Problem

First, parents need to be able to recognize when their child might have a serious problem. While the majority of young people with eating disorders are female, health professionals are seeing a rise in the number of boys and young men suffering from eating disorders and poor body image.

Your child may have a problem if he or she:

* Believes if you aren’t thin you aren’t attractive.
* Thinks being thin is more important than being healthy.
* Does anything to make themselves appear thinner — buying clothes, cutting their hair, taking laxatives or starving themselves.
* Feels guilty after eating or punishes herself after eating fattening foods.
* Counts calories and severely restricts calorie intake.
* Is obsessed with weighing himself daily or sometimes multiple times each day.
* Believes you can never be too thin.
* Thinks that being thin and not eating are signs of will power and success.

How to Foster a Healthier Body Image

The single most important way parents can help their children develop a healthy body image is to lead by example, Costin says. Children who hear their parents criticize themselves for being too fat will be more likely to think poorly of their own bodies.

“Avoid saying negative things about your own or other people’s bodies, and work hard at promoting healthy body esteem,” she says. “This may be difficult, especially if your own mother was not a good role model of a healthy body image.”

If you suspect your own body image and habits are not providing a healthful role model for your child, ask yourself if you would want her to imitate your dietary and exercise habits or self-image. Would you send her off in the morning with nothing but a cup of coffee? Would you tell him to have a bad day if he gets on the scale and has gained a pound? “Your answers may surprise you,” Costin says.

Help children find constructive ways to be healthy, including maintaining a good diet and regular physical activity. Share healthful pursuits, such as learning to cook nutritious meals together, with your child. But be sure to go out for ice cream too; balance is the key. Help with and praise creative endeavors, and applaud small but meaningful internal accomplishments, like her ability to remain calm, his quick wit, his sense of humor, her empathy for others.

Stay alert to changes in eating habits and body image and be prepared to intervene. Parents need to actively help their children find constructive ways to feel successful, accomplish something and earn the respect, attention and admiration so important to teens.

If you suspect your child has an eating disorder, seek help immediately. Log on to www.montenido.com or www.CarolynCostin.com to learn more.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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“Society hasn’t paid enough attention to the relationship between fathers and daughters,” says Dr. James Longhurst, a licensed psychologist for Ohio’s Montcalm School for Girls, a residential treatment program for troubled teens. “But the truth is, it’s a relationship that has a long-lasting impact on the woman his daughter will become.”

 Longhurst says that girls who have strong bonds with their fathers learn early-on how to relate to men in positive ways and are far less likely to use sex as a tool for relationship-building. They’re also less prone to esteem issues, including eating disorders. “The importance of a strong father figure in a girl’s life can’t be overstated,” says Longhurst, adding that by “strong” he doesn’t mean overly authoritative. “Dads have to resist the urge to be inflexible and so oppressively rule-based that it sets up conflict,” he says. “Fathers who empower their daughters to make decisions on their own help build a foundation of trust and respect that transfers to other areas as well.”

What can a Dad do to strengthen his rapport with his daughter? Start by looking for ways to relate. “I connect with my dad through sports. Everything else kind of sparks off of that,” says 18-year-old field hockey player Brooks Johnson of Charlotte, N.C. These days, Brooks and her dad are navigating the vast sea of college applications together. “He took the lead on that instead of my mom and it’s been really good for us, something we share.”

Longhurst believes that the best way to learn about positive relationships is to see them modeled, including the relationship between father and mother. “And even if there is no father in the picture, it’s important to look for good male role models. They’re out there, whether they’re family members or coaches or community mentors.”

At Montcalm School for Girls, Longhurst explains, troubled teens are treated with dignity and respect, which in turn, treatment results show, engenders dignity and respect. “You teach young people respect by showing them respect. You teach them integrity by treating them with integrity. Our goal, and it should be everyone’s, is to help kids discover and build on their strengths and learn how to handle conflict in productive ways.”

Montcalm School for Girls and Montcalm School for Boys are a part of Starr Commonwealth, a child and family services organization with nearly a century of experience in treating troubled youth and their families. For more information about Montcalm Schools or its parent organization, Starr Commonwealth, call (866) 289-9201, or visit their Web sites at www.montcalmschool.org or www.starr.org.

Courtesy of ARA Content

Tips for Dads Who want to Know their Daughters Better
Dr. James Longhurst, psychologist, Montcalm Schools
* Get to know the people in your daughter’s life. Do you know who her three best friends are? Find out. Better still, get to know her friends in a comfortable, casual way. If your daughter and her friends are young, be the dad who’s willing to drive them to the movies or to the mall. If they’re older, make it a point to greet them when you see them at the house.

* Find a way to connect. Does your daughter follow a sports team? A TV show? A musical group? Does she collect anything? Does she have an “issue” she cares about like animal rights or the environment? Join her in these interests or at least find out what they are so you can strike up a conversation and talk knowledgeably about them.

* Look for your daughter’s strengths. Find out what she’s good at and then — this is key — tell her. Is your daughter funny? Kind-hearted? Good in a particular sport or a certain subject at school? Show her you notice. You may feel these things in your heart but if you never express them, she’s missing out and you are, too.

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Dr. William Sears Offers Five Nutrition Tips

Celebrity moms seem to effortlessly bounce back to pre-baby weight immediately after giving birth. Here in the real world, however, real women know that battling the baby bulge is not so easy.

In fact, weight loss shouldn’t be the focus for new moms, especially if they plan on breastfeeding. Now is not the time to go on a crash diet or reach for diet pills. For women who plan on breastfeeding, eating habits should mirror a healthy pregnancy diet. Even after giving birth, breastfeeding moms are eating for two.

“During pregnancy and lactation, use real, wholesome food. When you consider the growth of that tiny baby, a mother has to be as pure as she possibly can,” said renowned pediatrician Dr. William Sears. “Mothers need more nutrition to grow a baby and to make milk. They don’t need to make any drastic changes.”

Dr. Sears, the father of eight children, is the author of more than 30 books on children’s health and development, including one that’s forthcoming — “The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood: Dr. Sears’s Nine Ways to Get Your Family on the Right Nutritional Track.” He coauthored the book with his wife, a registered nurse, and two of his sons, who are also pediatricians.

Dr. Sears offers these five nutritional tips when eating for two.

1. When it Comes to Consuming Calories, Stay the Course

Whether pregnant or nursing, a mother’s dietary requirements are about the same. Producing milk, much like growing a baby, requires extra energy. Mothers who breastfeed should continue consuming the extra 300 to 500 calories recommended by obstetricians during pregnancy. And drinking plenty of water continues to be important to support healthy milk production.

Many women opt to eat several small meals over the course of the day when pregnant because the uterus presses against the stomach, making it difficult to consume larger meals. Dr. Sears recommends mothers continue this “grazing” approach during the breastfeeding period to supply a regular caloric intake to the body which must continually produce milk.

 2. Read Food and Beverage Labels

It’s important to make those extra calories count. Avoid empty-calorie foods and beverages such as soft drinks, candy and other sweetened foods, which have little or no nutritional value.

Dr. Sears also advises mothers to avoid three items on food labels: high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and food dyes, like Red Dye No. 40. “If mothers avoid these three simple things, they’ve eliminated 90 percent of the junk food in their diet,” said Dr. Sears.

Artificial sweeteners, too, should be avoided as they have not been proven to be safe for infants. As for caffeine and alcohol, moderation is the key.

“A glass of wine consumed slowly with a meal is very unlikely to harm a baby during lactation or pregnancy. Having said that, nature makes very few mistakes. A mother may lose her taste for caffeine and alcohol when pregnant. When in doubt, leave it out,” said Sears.

3. Concentrate on Brain Foods

Dr. Sears lists four favorite brain foods to provide key nutrients to mothers and their babies, whose brains are in a period of rapid growth and development: blueberries, spinach, nuts, and foods naturally containing or fortified with omega-3 fatty acid Docosahexaenoic Acid (DHA). Blueberries are rich with powerful antioxidants for disease protection and memory enhancement. Spinach contains anticancer properties and may reduce the effects of age-related declines in brain function. The healthy fats in nuts promote optimal brain function. DHA is critical for optimal brain development and function in infants, and ongoing brain function in adults.

Experts recommend about 300 mg of DHA a day for pregnant and nursing women. Unfortunately, the typical American diet has one of the lowest levels of DHA consumption in the world – fewer than 100 mgs per day.

“Fatty fish are the primary dietary source of DHA but during pregnancy mothers can lose their taste for fish. This is why a DHA supplement is not just advisable but necessary. Mothers need to have it,” said Dr. Sears. Fortunately, there is a non-fish, vegetarian alternative – DHA from algae, also known as Martek DHA. Today dietary supplements and foods fortified with DHA from algae are becoming increasingly available.

Vegetarian Martek DHA is found in Gold Circle Farm Eggs, in Neuromins DHA supplements and in several products for pregnant and nursing women, including Expecta LIPIL supplements, Citrical plus DHA prenatal vitamins, Optinate prenatal vitamins, and in Oh Mama! Bars, nutrition bars for pregnant women.

4. Concerning Supplements or Medication, Consult Your Doctor

Nursing mothers should continue taking prenatal vitamins as recommended by their obstetricians, as they are a good source of calcium, folic acid and other vital nutrients. Before taking additional supplements or any kind of medication, it’s always wise to check with a doctor first.

5. Don’t Smoke

Nursing mothers who smoke can pass the nicotine in their bodies directly to their babies through breast milk. What’s more, Dr. Sears advises nursing mothers that it’s not enough for a mother to distance herself from her baby while smoking. Smoke can still be found on a mother’s hair and clothing. The incidence(s) of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) doubles if the mother smokes, and goes up as much as five times if both the mother and father smoke around the baby.

Smoking during pregnancy and lactation also diminishes prolactin, a hormone that triggers milk production. It is also widely believed that prolactin is the basis for mother’s intuition.

For more information on your developing baby, visit www.askdrsears.com. For more information on DHA, visit www.DHAdepot.com.

Courtesy of ARA Content

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