Linda Bacon, PhD, author of Body Respect, What Conventional Health Books Get Wrong, Leave Out, or Just Plain Fail to Understand about Weight, provides insight on how to broach this subject with kids: “It makes sense that kids would be concerned about being fat in this anti-fat culture, and I think it’s important to honor these fears. Telling them what we know to be true – that weight stigma is wrong and kids can be beautiful and healthy at every size – isn’t enough to help them change their attitude and behavior, when they can see the real rewards people get for being thinner in this culture. It’s important to be real with them, and acknowledge that.” “I like to use the analogy of skin color. Sure, we know that white people often get treated better because of their lighter skin, but we don’t suggest that black people bleach their skin as a solution. We recognize that bleaching may be harmful, may not work, and doesn’t get at the real problem: racism. Nor will trying to lose weight. Dieting isn’t effective and it just makes people feel bad about their eating.””
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