Obesity amongst teenagers has become a growing problem in India. Concepts like anorexia, organic dieting, over stress amongst kids did not exist a few years back. However, these are not the ways that your child should or as a parent you should encourage to deal with the bulk.

 

Oprah in her one show said that it is necessary to first accept the number of kilos that you weigh. Own and possess the number. Only when you accept that number will you want to work towards losing weight. Hence, sit with your teen and explain to them with sensitivity such that the kid does not shy away from his/her weight but accepts the number. The next step is to make a plan for your kid or an exercise regime that your kid can follow along with the pressure of the studies. Do not put pressure on the child. Losing weight is a slow process in itself and one needs patience and perseverance to lose weight consistently.

 

One of the common mistakes that parents do is make fun of the child by calling him or her names. Though you may only be joking, you never know how sensitively and emotionally kids take this issue.

 

There are a lot of issues that come along with being overweight. Your teen may lose confidence in him, he may shy away from others, he prefers his own cocoon and refuses to interact with anyone, he wishes to be locked up in a room and his whole self esteem can go for a toss. As a parent, realize that these issues cannot be solves in a jiffy. The idea is not to force your kid to go out and be confident but rather sit with him, discuss the problem and motivate him or her to lose weight.