Change Focus from Fitness to Fun

Advice for Parents Helps Motivate Overweight Children

"See through your child's eyes," says fitness expert and counselor Tami Anastasia. "The most important thing a parent can do to motivate an overweight child is to understand the child's perspective."
Children often have valid reasons for not exercising. "They may be self-conscious or embarrassed," says Anastasia. "Exercise may make them too hot and tired, or even cause them pain. Maybe they simply aren't having fun. Take into consideration the reasons your child won't exercise and plan physical activities that don't reinforce these feelings. Getting started may be as simple as slowing down the pace or taking a short evening walk together."

Strong evidence supports getting started now. The Center for Disease Control warns that 15 percent of children and adolescents between the ages of 6 and 19 are overweight, and may face serious health and social consequences. Is exercise the answer? The American Association of Obesity says lack of regular exercise and sedentary behavior are major contributors to child obesity. Parents agree. In a recent Wall Street Journal Health Poll, 53 percent of adults in the U.S. think that child obesity is due to not enough exercise.

With a master's degree in counseling and 25 years as a fitness instructor, Anastasia has plenty of insight into how children view health and fitness, and what it takes to get them moving. "Children do things for fun, not for fitness," she says. "Talking to your children about losing weight isn't going to motivate them to get off the couch. Instead, help them find activities that are personally meaningful."

In her book, "Toward a Magnificent Self," Anastasia uses cognitive therapies to help people find personal meaning and value in exercise. While the book is geared toward adults, Anastasia says, her methods also apply to children.

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