Health, wellness and self-esteem for children with obesity

This week Bobbi Conner talks with Janet Carter about health, wellness and self-esteem for children with obesity. Janet is a clinical lipid specialist and the program manager and lead dietician at MUSC Health Wellness Works Program.

TRANSCRIPT:

Conner: I’m Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Obesity in children has the potential to impact a child’s psychological health, including self-esteem and body image. Janet Carter is here to talk about these issues for children. Janet is a clinical lipid specialist, and she’s the Program Manager and Lead Dietitian at the MUSC Children’s Health Wellness Works program. Janet, first tell us about issues related to childhood obesity, body image, and self-esteem in children and adolescents.

Carter: Roughly 1 in 5 children and adolescents have obesity, and they tend to experience bullying and stigmatization not only by strangers, but often by peers and family members. Weight bias and stigmatization are damaging, and we know that children and adolescents with obesity can be at increased risk of disease, but they can also experience psychological complications such as decreased self-esteem and negative body image. Poor self-esteem and body image can potentially lead to other concerns like depression and eating disorders.

Conner: And I know you work with children who have obesity, what do you typically focus on in treating childhood obesity?

Carter: We encourage a wellness message, which means that we are focused on helping children and adolescents learn strategies for taking the best care of their bodies that they can. We encourage healthy food choices, physical activity, healthy sleep habits, while discouraging restriction or dieting, which can lead to cravings or disordered eating patterns. We emphasize that health and risk for disease takes a lot of factors into account, and not just weight.

Conner: What tips can you offer parents to help their child with obesity, who might be struggling with a negative body image or self-esteem?

Carter: One thing that parents can do is validate their child’s feelings and have realistic conversations about how difficult change can be. They can encourage them to have realistic expectations for themselves. It’s also more important to focus on what we’re doing to take care of our bodies versus the scale. And parents can share their own personal experiences, including the struggles that they’ve had. They can also consider enrolling them in a weight management program. The research shows that programs like this improve self-esteem and body image irrespective of weight change.

Conner: And Janet, how can parents best talk to their child when some issue crops up with negative feelings about body image, or maybe teasing or peer comments?

Carter: One thing that parents can do is ask their children how they’re feeling. Ask open ended questions and allow them to share their feelings. Listen to their feedback. Help them feel like they’re part of the process. Also, creating an environment where the child is comfortable to share his or her feelings.

Conner: And what additional suggestions can you mention for parents of children with obesity to really help keep the focus on health and wellness?

Carter: A very important thing for parents to do is avoid making comments, whether positive or negative, about anyone’s appearance, whether it’s celebrities, strangers, or their own children. Those types of comments turn the focus onto appearance. Comments about appearance can be taken in a lot of different ways, and they could accidentally send the wrong message. And so, it’s very important to continually remind children and adolescents that the focus should be on their health and wellness. And the good news is that working on healthy eating habits and exercise is a tried and true way to build confidence and a healthy body image.

Conner: Janet, thanks for this information about obesity and body image in childhood.

Carter: Thank you.

Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I’m Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.

Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.