The Dangers of Dieting
One factor shown to lead to adult weight gain, ironically enough, is childhood dieting. Food restriction can turn a child into someone who is always hungry, leaving her never able to learn what “full” feels like. This can burden a child with an excessive psychological need for satisfaction from food. Should you begin to worry excessively about the weight of your two-year-old to the extent that you restrict her food intake, she may never learn to eat properly.
As has been noted, only a very small number of children are overweight due to genetic factors. Children's body weights are distributed across a range on the standard growth chart, which means that some two-year-olds are naturally heavier than others, but the majority still stay within the normal range.
Rather than trying to stop your child from eating too much, offer her normal
There are numerous ways adultsdiet in order to lose weight. They limit how much food they eat, they cut out entire food groups, they binge and then starve themselves or, worse, they purge. Very few adults eat properly, whether in terms of nutrition, amount of food, or eating habits.
Alert!
Parents often pass their own bad eating habits along to their children. Even small children have been known to worry about weight when they hear parents discussing their own weight concerns. Watch your language and prejudices about weight around your two-year-old, for your goal is to raise someone who feels comfortable with her body and is attuned to its signals.
Passing these eating patterns down to your child is as dangerous to her health and well-being as passing down your smoking or drinking habit. No matter what your age, dieting does not foster a good relationship with food, does not help you lose weight intelligently, nor does it allow you to feel healthy in the long-term.
If you're a mom or dad who struggles with issues of weight, or your relationship with food and exercise, first consider the strain this places on yourself. Then work to help your child develop a healthier relationship to food, exercise, and weight management. Encourage her to listen to her own body when it comes to food, respect her need to eat until she's full (and no more), and give her every opportunity to be active.
