The study, Preventing Obesity and Eating Disorders in Adolescents, reframes how to think about working with teens on these topics. It offers ideas for ways to guide and support teens who may be experiencing these issues. According to the report, childhood obesity has doubled over the past 30 years, and adolescent obesity rates have quadrupled.
An article in The Chicago Tribune states that 34% of 12-19 year olds are now overweight or obese and eating disorders are the third most common chronic condition in adolescence, with obesity and asthma taking the top two places.
The AAP report says that when children are obese, they are more likely to be obese as adults. Children and adolescents who are obese are at much higher risk for a host of health issues throughout their lives.
With obesity rates at unprecedented levels, clearly the usual ways of addressing this issue are not working. Pointing out the fact that children and teens are overweight does little more than make them feel worse.
Although being overweight carries with it the increased risk of health issues, using these diseases as scare tactics for losing weight is also not helpful and simply creates more anxiety around an already fraught subject. As Dr. Robert Lamberts, a medical blogger quoted in the New York Times says, "Our culture of accusation and shame simply makes obese people hate themselves. If you hate yourself, why should you want to take care of your body?"
Instead of shaming or scaring young people into losing weight, doctors and families can try taking the more supportive role outlined in the AAP report.
So, if pediatricians and parents should stop talking directly about weight with kids, how can they address an issue that desperately needs attention?
When MI was used, patients lowered their BMI by 3.1 more points than when no special approach was taken. Motivational Interviewing helps patients talk about the need for change in an accepting and nonjudgmental way, and when they are ready it helps them formulate a plan for that change. Instead of trying to impose change on a patient who may be resistant or not ready, MI helps the patient find their own motivation for change. For example, instead of telling a patient they are overweight and need to start an exercise plan, MI can help the patient talk about the weight issue from their perspective, and find their own reason and inherent drive to make a healthy lifestyle plan.
By redirecting the conversation from the number on the scale, to the bigger conversation on what fosters a healthy lifestyle, pediatricians and parents can play an active role in alleviating the epidemic of obesity and eating disorders in young people across the country.