BC Council for Families

Which discussion would you rather have with your kids:  the "birds and the bees talk" or the "weight talk"?

According to a recent study conducted by Sanford Health and online consumer health magazine WebMD that surveyed more than 1,200 US parents and children, the birds and the bees is the preferred topic.

In fact, parents would rather talk to their kids about alcohol, sex, drugs or smoking than about being overweight. 22% of parents responded that they were uncomfortable talking to their children about weight, while only 12% were hesitant to talk about sex.  And it's not because parents are unconcerned about weight issues:  37% felt that at least one of their children was at risk of being overweight in the future.  Yet parents are reluctant to take on responsibility for this issue: while only one percent of parents felt that doctors should discuss sex, drugs or alcohol with their child, 19% said their pediatrician should talk to their children about weight and obesity.

What's behind this hesitancy? "Parents are really afraid they will trigger an eating disorder," according to family psychologist Susan Bartell, a consultant on the study. "And then the other thing is they don't know how to talk to kids about weight. They think they will hurt their kids' feelings or damage their self-esteem."

If sitting down with a child to talk about weight feels awkward, consider including the whole family by using an activity like "What does my Family Value" which will not single out an individual. It can be a great opportunity for the whole family to talk about issues like weight, health and fitness and why they are important. As a family you can discuss ways to make healthy choices and children can feel involved in making a plan for the future.