How to Teach Your Teens to Have a Healthy Relationship with Food
Most teens often want to keep a positive body image. This could be because of several reasons, such as maintaining good health and peer influence. However, while teens need to stay disciplined with a restrictive diet, others often draw away and lose balance. This is because some teens often build an emotional connection with certain foods.
That’s why it is essential to ensure that you teach your tins to maintain a healthy relationship with food at all times. Below are tips to help your teens have a healthy relationship with food.
Be a Role Model
Teens often follow what adults do. They quickly get influenced by other people’s actions, and they tend to replicate the same. In this case, you should set a good example by eating a healthy diet. This will trigger your teens to try out the same diet. Always advise your teens to eat a whole meal instead of a single dietary meal.
Also, you can be an excellent example to your teens by creating eating schedules. If you stick to the plan, your teens will pick it up quickly and want to go by your schedule. This helps them eat at the right time and avoid missing meals.
Advise Teens to Avoid Snacking All the Time
Most teens love snacks because of peer influence. Some may even prefer snacks as their main meal. This can be a risky choice that may affect your teen’s health. In this case, you should advise your teens to always consider taking a balanced diet.
Even if your teens love snacks, advise them not to consume much. While you can buy healthy snacks for your teens, ensure it doesn’t become their main meal. Teach them how to moderate the intake and if they have issues with food, you’d want to consider treatment options for eating disorders to restore their eating habits and improve their relationship with food.
Involve Your Teens in Scheduling and Planning
Teens often get excited when they get involved in certain activities. Instead of planning alone, consider involving them in meal preparation, grocery planning, and shopping. They are almost becoming adults, and they should know how to maintain a good relationship with food from planning, cooking to eating. This keeps them active and also increases their interest in trying various meal plans.
It gives your teens a sense of ownership and motivates them to try out a balanced diet. Healthy eating is a crucial consideration that improves your teen’s health and prevents you from seeking treatment often due to malnutrition complications.
Consider Online Therapy
When it comes to treating eating disorders, research has shown that online therapy can be beneficial. One study found that online therapy for bulimia may be as equally effective as face-to-face treatment but with the caveat that it may take some more time to see progress.[1] Online treatment can therefore be a good option for some people struggling with eating disorders but it may not be right for everyone.
Sometimes, teens can be picky when it comes to eating. They want to concentrate only on a particular food and ignore the rest. If this is the case, incorporate the tips above to help your teens consume a balanced diet and maintain a healthy relationship with food.
By Emma Sturgis
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