Statistics about diabetes, intestinal disorders, poor general health, diminished physical ability and eventually becoming increasingly incapacitated as heavy adults have little impact on reducing the prevalence of childhood obesity. Overweight children have learned to outwardly rationalize living in their fat bodies. Yet behind the façade of seeming indifference lurks the real feelings, such as anxiety, low self-esteem and depression, that most overweight children carry with them.
There are similarities in a child's compulsive eating and adult addictions. Such similarities are best understood as eating increases pleasure in part by stimulating the pleasure centers of the brain. Such pleasure once established strongly impacts a child's ability to diet and gain weight control.
When a child feels upset, or depressed and perhaps unloved he often has the impulse to eat. He discovers that eating improves his mood. A connection between food filling an empty stomach and improvement in mood is established. The next time it occurs and food again rewards the eater a pattern has started. It doesn't take long to establish a belief that food counters painful symptoms and compulsive eating begins. Once that belief becomes engrained to all intents that person has become a food addict. Eating fatty and sugar enriched food which is very tasty and fulfilling encourages the development of the addiction.
Overcoming an addiction is not easy but is within the realm of accomplishment for any child. First the child must want to lose weight. The motivation often stems from his suffering from being heavy and unacceptable in his own eyes. Developing the persistence to carry out a long process of gaining weight control often comes from strong parental guidance and encouragement. Diets need to be carefully planned since many are not appealing to children.
Perhaps most important is persuading the child that he must change his attitude about eating. Good healthy diets can be given up because the overeater has not changed his essential attitude about eating. Whatever satisfaction comes from overeating that is not based on a healthy diet needs to be modified. Children must overcome the feeling that eating makes them feel better and takes away feelings of being unloved and empty inside. They must learn that the essential reason to eat is to maintain health, which does not preclude enjoying food.
The emphasis must be on changing the belief systems that overweight children have. The belief that food is love or the child eats because it makes him feel good or he eats because he loves food need to be changed. Many children will not necessarily be conscious of these attitudes but most will understand that good health must be primary and the pleasures in eating, though important, are secondary in their eating habits.
By Marvin H. Berenson, M.D.
November 18, 2011
My book "The Psychiatrist's Diet" contains an easy-to-use diet plan that is effective, doesn't require any special foods and works for any age. The diet is easily explained to children. The mental imagery exercises that can enhance weight control are often seen as fun games by many children who try them as part of their diet.
Visit http://www.drmarvinberenson.com/ to review "The Psychiatrist's Diet" and sign-up to receive Dr. Berenson's highly informative biweekly newsletter and two FREE gifts.
Marvin H. Berenson, M.D. is Clinical Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, USC Keck School of Medicine, psychiatrist, lecturer, author and artist.
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