I'm sure many of you are already aware of this article on about.com It reviews a couple of studies that try to explain why swimmers tend to have more body fat than other athletes.
Thought if you weren't aware of the article you might find it interesting.
swimming.about.com/.../offsite.htm
Lainey
Parents
Former Member
I also feel that kids are VERY AWARE as to whether or not they are overweight. Kids/ teens are, in some ways, more perceptive than adults. I'm not sure that telling them flat out is helping them. I believe they know. If they are overeating, it's often for a very specific reason, frequently not related to food at all. Then, if they have a trusted adult tell them, "You need to lose weight," it's additional blow to their already fragile psyche. They try to reduce calories, find out they can't do it via eating less or better (as they aren't addressing the true problem to begin with), and then resort to very, very unhealthy methods for getting that bottom line result of weighing less.
Speaking as a once fat child...it doesn't help ever to be told you're fat or this or that, when you eat the same as your relatively skinny sister. I used to have family members supply a large amount of chocolates and stuff at Christmas, then be told by the same family members that I am overweight and make me feel ashamed with things like "I bet you can't even touch your toes (which is about flexibility not fat anyway).."
Better to encourage good habits at the table, and restrict junk food at the in-take--once they have eaten it it is no good to criticise.
I try to not double carb now e.g. bread and pasta, bread and potatoes...seems to help. I like the various squash instead of potatoes too. A little of everything and a little exercise is good for us all. I've never had washboard abs since I was 7...30 years later I am not going to kill myself trying for them.
I also feel that kids are VERY AWARE as to whether or not they are overweight. Kids/ teens are, in some ways, more perceptive than adults. I'm not sure that telling them flat out is helping them. I believe they know. If they are overeating, it's often for a very specific reason, frequently not related to food at all. Then, if they have a trusted adult tell them, "You need to lose weight," it's additional blow to their already fragile psyche. They try to reduce calories, find out they can't do it via eating less or better (as they aren't addressing the true problem to begin with), and then resort to very, very unhealthy methods for getting that bottom line result of weighing less.
Speaking as a once fat child...it doesn't help ever to be told you're fat or this or that, when you eat the same as your relatively skinny sister. I used to have family members supply a large amount of chocolates and stuff at Christmas, then be told by the same family members that I am overweight and make me feel ashamed with things like "I bet you can't even touch your toes (which is about flexibility not fat anyway).."
Better to encourage good habits at the table, and restrict junk food at the in-take--once they have eaten it it is no good to criticise.
I try to not double carb now e.g. bread and pasta, bread and potatoes...seems to help. I like the various squash instead of potatoes too. A little of everything and a little exercise is good for us all. I've never had washboard abs since I was 7...30 years later I am not going to kill myself trying for them.
