Promote Healthy Eating Habits for Your Teens this Holiday Season

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In early October 2022, I began noticing advertisements for dieting and exercise programs on my social media feeds. These ads frequently featured images of women pushing shopping carts filled with Halloween candy, symbolizing the weight they had successfully shed.

The prevalence of diet culture is rapidly increasing, captivating the attention of young women and girls in particular. This population is especially vulnerable to societal pressures and the dissemination of misleading information, leading to potential risks.

A young woman patient is casually seated in a chair across from her doctor, engaged in a discussion about her mental health. She appears visibly despondent, her gaze fixed upon the floor. The doctor, donning a white lab coat, has her back facing the camera while exploring potential care strategies to address the woman's depression.

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What someone with an eating disorder wishes you knew

Diet culture on social media not only targets adult women, but it also affects tweens and teens. Additionally, there is a significant increase in eating disorders, especially among adolescent girls, since the start of the pandemic.

A teenage girl recently expressed concern about her mom's obsession with seeing her Facebook friends lose weight without dieting. She questioned the authenticity of these claims and contemplated hiring a health coach to improve her own eating habits, inspired by her mom's diet overhaul. Unfortunately, she unknowingly fell into the trap of a multi-level marketing brand that promotes rapid weight loss through calorie restriction and expensive meal replacements.

Is it real? Yes. Is it healthy? Not likely, especially for a growing teen.

An obsessive focus on weight loss, toning muscles and improving overall looks actually runs contrary to what teens need to grow at a healthy pace.

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Later that week, a different teenage client inquired about a clean eating movement she follows on Pinterest. She had read that strictly adhering to a vegan diet is not only beneficial for her health but also for the environment. She believed this to be true because the article she found on Pinterest led her to a blog by a health coach, which seemed reputable. However, upon conducting a thorough investigation into the blogger's credentials, it was discovered that the clean eating practices they promoted were not actually developed by a qualified nutritionist.

Additionally, another teenager, who had recently participated in the "what I eat in a day" challenge, a popular trend on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and other social media sites where users document their daily food consumption, shared with me that she decided to temporarily deactivate her social media accounts. The reason behind this decision was her realization that the time she had spent engaging in this trend, while pretending to be fulfilled by limited eating, had left her feeling worn out and unhappy. She had come across this trend on TikTok and believed it could help her establish healthier eating habits. Unfortunately, it resulted in her becoming overly fixated on calorie intake instead. Despite feeling terrible throughout the entire week she promoted the challenge, she did not want her friends to witness her true experience.

Female person against plate with a slice of apple. Weight loss diet concept

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Here are the signs of an eating disorderthe ones you know and the ones you don't

Throughout the week, I receive numerous inquiries from tweens and teens regarding the diet culture they come across online, in their surroundings, and occasionally even within their own homes. However, during the winter holiday season, the pressure from diet culture, which is often accompanied by toxic positivity in order to seem encouraging, intensifies.

Teens are constantly exposed to harmful messages regarding body image and weight loss, not only on social media but also through various mediums such as TV, popular culture, school, extracurricular activities, social activities, home, public spaces like malls or grocery stores, and even restaurants. This excessive exposure to so-called healthy eating content promotes the idea that following diets like "clean eating" leads to a better physique, and consequently, increased happiness. Unfortunately, many teens are adopting diets that eliminate entire food groups like carbohydrates, dairy products, gluten, and meat-based proteins, which can trigger anxiety related to food, obsessive food label checking, and dangerous calorie restriction.

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Intuitive eating, also known as the anti-diet approach, emphasizes that the key to healthy growth in teenagers lies in deriving pleasure from food rather than obsessing over weight loss, muscle toning, or improving appearance.

The positive aspect in all of this is that parents have the ability to actively contribute in helping their teenagers develop a healthier mental outlook regarding their eating habits. "Parents often feel powerless against the influence of TikTokers, peer pressure, or the pervasive diet culture. However, it is vital to remember that parents are influential figures as well," emphasized Hanson. The words and actions we choose significantly impact our teenagers.

Model a healthy relationship with food

Parents can take an active role in helping teens craft an emotionally healthier narrative around their eating habits.

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Reflect on your own eating habits for a moment. Teenagers often imitate what they observe, even if they don't openly discuss it.

Parents and guardians can demonstrate a positive relationship with food by relishing a diverse range of meals and experimenting with new recipes for family dinners. When the holiday season arrives, which frequently involves coming together at the dining table, seize the chance to set an example of shared connections. "Holidays serve as a wonderful reminder that food nourishes us in ways that cannot be expressed solely through nutritional information," added Hanson.

Practice confronting unhealthy body talk

During the holiday season, there are numerous occasions to come together with friends and family, creating wonderful memories. However, these joyous moments can sometimes lead to feelings of anxiety due to the presence of nutrition shaming.

When extended families come together to celebrate holidays, it is a customary practice for individuals to make observations about others' appearances or transformations since their previous gathering. Although often well-intentioned, these remarks can elicit discomfort or distress among tweens and teens.

a little girl in a dress is standing on white scales that show her weight, 3 years

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When it comes to discussing weight with children, it is important to be mindful of their self-consciousness and self-criticism during puberty or body changes. Talib advised against making comments such as "you've developed," as they may not be well-received in conversations.

Talib advises prepping ahead of time by practicing comebacks and topic changes. Engage in role play scenarios such as responding with, "We avoid discussing physical appearances," or "We choose to highlight the accomplishments we've achieved this year." Additionally, ensure you regularly check in with your tween or teen, allowing them to express any feelings of hurt and resentment towards such comments at an appropriate moment.

Develop digital literacy skills

Talib suggests that framing the conversation around teaching media literacy skills is a helpful approach. Openly discussing the topic with tweens and teens promotes open and honest communication, normalizes critical thinking, and fosters a strong connection between parents and teens.

She suggests asking the following questions when discussing peoples messaging around diet culture:

● Who are they?

● What do you think their angle is?

● What do you think their message is?

● Are they a medical professional or are they trying to sell you something?

● Are they promoting a fitness program or a supplement that they are marketing?

Discussing this with tweens and teens throughout the season, as well as at any given time, brings attention to a sensitive subject and facilitates open communication for your children to express their thoughts and feelings. This revised article was initially released in November 2022.