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18 March 2008

Give your child a healthy body image

Encouraging a healthy relationship between your child and the food they eat can lead to a positive body image. Here's how.

1. Ensure that you give your child enough healthy food at school, says dietician Justine Aginsky, 'I find parents do not give children enough food in their lunchbox. Some parents restrict the food their children take because they don't want them to put on weight, but then they will give tuck money, which will be spent on chips, sweets and fizzy drinks.'

2. If you're on a healthy eating plan, make sure the whole family can eat the same food. "Delicious healthy food the whole family can eat is the only kind of diet parents should be on.", says Justine.

3. The food guide pyramid should provide the basis of the food you serve.

4. If you feel your child is overweight, or he or she insists on dieting, make an appointment to see a registered clinical dietician. Emphasise that this would be to create a healthy eating plan that's tailored to your child's specific needs.

5. Never talk about your own weight and diet issues in front of your children.

6. If your child is overweight, don't gloss over it. Minimising it will leave your child feeling even more alone – that even his or her parents don't understand. Say things that affirm your child's experience, such as, "I know it must be hard not to be able to wear those hipsters," or "I understand you feel embarrassed in a swimsuit." Understanding is crucial to this situation.

7. Seek advice from someone whose parenting style you trust and like when it comes to forming a positive body image in your children.

Previously published in FAIRLADY, Subscribe now and save