How young would you think is acceptable for someone to start dieting?
I have read a few questions on here about diet and exercise and they’re being asked by 13 and 14 year olds. That seems to me, a bit young to be thinking about loosing weight and I worry that these people aren’t getting the right information about healthy diets, Should this kind of thing be taught in school or should it be left to the parents (or the internet!) to teach?
August 30th, 2010 at 4:10 am
i think it depends on why someone that young would want to diet because if they want to diet because they think they are fat and are not then its not ok but if they really are heavy at a young age and its something that can effect their health then they need to do something about that
August 30th, 2010 at 4:20 am
it’s appropriate to start dieting at any age. if you’re overweight, you should diet. if you aren’t comfortable with how you look, diet. i mean, obviously i wouldn’t put a five year old on a diet, but i don’ think there’s anything wrong with young girls/teenagers dieting if it has to do with their health and self-esteem.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:16 am
schools already teach about healthy diets, but whilst the media is constantly calling celebrities of perfectly healthy weight fat then teenage girls are going to want to diet.
end of.
being thin is much more important to most teenage girls than a healthy diet, society in general needs a different approach to this whole thing.
and teenage girls need new role models, not air brushed models who are a size 0 or something ridiculous.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:19 am
they should wait until theyve completed puberty like 15-16 or maybe even later. dieting before this can cause growth and development issues. if they want to stop eating junk food or just start eating healthier and exercising more i think thats ok but if they want to hardcore “diet,” like restrict calorie intake and eliminate meals and go on slim fast or weight watchers i think thats way too young. just my opinion
August 30th, 2010 at 5:47 am
Dieting is *never* the answer. It’s all about eating healthy and exercise. Personally, I think that if you’re going to go down this terrible road, you should be at least 20-25. But if you have an actual weight problem, good foods are way more effective than Atkins. But most girls who think they are too fat are actually at the optimal weight, maybe a little skinnier.
August 30th, 2010 at 5:58 am
it depends on th person in question. when i was 13 i was 15.6 stone which put simply is bad. i lost 6 stone and i look and feel better. ppl should be taught about eating disorders in schools but parents must take an active part as well.BTW my parents are both in th medical profession so i had help with my dieting
August 30th, 2010 at 6:09 am
It depends on what you mean by diet, and individual cases, and the reasons why they want to change their eating habits. If a 13 year old had excessive weight then they should start “dieting”. I think of a diet as your normal food intake. This should be balanced and healthy for all ages. I can see no problems of any child of any age taking an interest in their own eating habits. This is far better than waiting until they are a lot older and then trying to correct years of abuse they have subjected their own bodies to.
August 30th, 2010 at 6:54 am
hey i think any age is ok to diet. Within reason, check your BMI to make sure you’re actually overweight or something.
Teachers all have different opinions on weight and some have previously had eating disorders or whatever so some will teach the wrong things you know it will either be lessons in anorexia or obesity.
August 30th, 2010 at 7:22 am
Amen!!
diet always implies losing “weight” loss but in reality “diet” is how and what we eat.
since our schools are full of red tape, as is our government, i believe it is up to the parents to educate themselves first, then impart that knowledge on our kids. the problem is, parents don’t know what healthy is versus a hole in their head.
and the govt doesnt help.
nor does the media.
nor do the doctors who the public always believe. most doctors haven’t learned anything new about nutrition since med school. and even then, they mostly read recommendations from a food pyramid that will, quite frankly, make your body into a pyramid shape if you follow.
its insanity!
i was one of these kids once. as well as a media victim and i was also an misinformed parent as well.
it wasn’t until i did my OWN research and studying that i learned what is and what isn’t correct.
good question!
oh, to answer your question about when is it healthy to start dieting? as in losing fat? why not feed our kids in a manner that does not welcome fat gain?
when we eat correctly, we should be stuffed! but stuffed with nutrient dense foods. not junk, sugar and bad carbs.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
anthony
tips on my blog:
http://anthonyboogie.blogspot.