Santa Claus Brings Unhealthy Habits: How Parents’ Words Can Harm Kids’ Health

Santa Claus is often used as a reward to children, but the treats he brings can often be unhealthy. From sugary snacks to fatty treats, these rewards can lead to unhealthy eating habits in children. This is especially concerning given the U.S. health officials‘ declaration of childhood obesity as a public health crisis. Parents should be aware of the language they use when talking to their children about weight, as the words they use can have a huge impact on their child’s emotions. A recent study found that teens felt the most negative emotions about terms like ‘overweight,’ ‘fat’ and ‘extremely obese.’ More than one-third of youths reported feeling embarrassment, shame and sadness when their parents used these words. Girls reported feeling more negative emotions in response to words used about weight than boys did.

Parents should shift the conversation to health rather than to body weight, and model healthy behaviors and provide opportunities to eat healthy food at home. Going for walks and making dinner together as a family are great ways to encourage healthy eating habits. It’s also important to keep it positive and make small changes that will stick. Guilt and blame don’t tend to motivate long-term healthy changes. Lastly, it’s important to use the words that patients use to define themselves, as this helps them feel empowered, invested in their treatment and understood.