Anti-Obesity Program Horrors: They May Cause Eating Disorders

A new poll says 30% of parents have seen at least one worrisome behavior in their children that could be associated with an eating disorder—and they’re blaming it on school-based anti-obesity programs. Of course, lowering childhood obesity rates is a good thing, but it seems a lot of school programs are taking a dangerous approach: Instead of teaching kids how to life a happy, healthy lifestyle through positive role models, they teach them how not to be obese. The difference—inspiration vs. fear—makes all the difference between controlling obesity and, it appears, eating disorders.

According to a new report from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, their national poll on children’s health examined the possible association between obesity prevention programs at the schools and an increase in eating disorders among young children and teens. What they discovered was many of the parents were worried about these programs actually back-firing and having the opposite effect that they were intended to.

Overall, 82% of parents said there was at least one school-based childhood obesity intervention program taking place in their child’s school. This included programs on nutrition education, limiting sweets or “junk food” in the classroom, height and weight measurements, and incentives for physical activity. All of which is fine, assuming it’s presented in the right way. But apparently it’s not, according to one-third of the parents who say they have noticed at least one behavior in their kids that could be related to developing an eating disorder. This included inappropriate dieting, excessive worry about fat in foods, being preoccupied with food content or labels, refusing to eat family meals and exercising too much.

Just as troubling is that 7% of parents also reported that their children have been made to feel bad at school about what or how much they were eating.

In a statement, Dr. David Rosen, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and Psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School and Chief of Teenage and Young Adult Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics agreed that this trend of putting too much emphasis on healthy behaviors could have a negative impact:

When obesity interventions are put in place without understanding how they work and what the risks are, there can be unintended consequences. Well-intentioned efforts can go awry when children misinterpret the information they’re given.

He went on to say that parents–and schools–should not overlook these warning signs:

Many of these behaviors are often dismissed as a phase. But given what we know about the association of these behaviors with the development of eating disorders and knowing that eating disorders are increasing in prevalence, they should be taken very seriously.

So in a society where one out of every three kids is overweight or obese, what’s the answer?

Based on my experience with my own kids and working with hundreds of others over the years, I think it lies in something much less obvious. Meaning, we don’t have to be so in-your-face with anti-obesity messages all the time. Yes, health education and P.E. are definitely necessary, but what happened to just making these programs fun and informative, like we had during our youth? Now, instead of simply teaching kids about the food groups and the rules of basketball, they are bombarded with messages about their weight and what they put in their mouths. They are criticized and made to feel self-conscious. And, in some instance, they are weighed and labeled.

Kids don’t need to constantly hear the warnings about getting fat, eating the wrong foods or not exercising enough. They are more vulnerable and impressionable than we think. Instead, what they need are simply healthy, positive role models to exhibit healthy behaviors. They need parents and teachers who are training for marathons or triathlons, eating a peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread with a salad for lunch, snacking on an apple, riding their bikes to work, playing a round of kickball with the kids simply because it’s fun, etc.

Don’t get me wrong, healthy living programs are definitely needed in schools, but it’s the approach of them that makes all the difference. That, and who is delivering the messages. Kids need to be inspired to live healthy, not scared into it.

Photo: my-children.me