On the topic of weight
The facts: More than a quarter of Australian teenagers are either overweight bumping up their risk of developing chronic conditions as they grow older.
They may also experience low self-esteem. Plus, about 80 per cent of teenagers that are overweight are more likely to be so as they become adults.
Take action: If you’d like to help your teenager maintain a healthy weight, it’s important to approach the topic in the right way.
Weight and appearance are often emotionally charged areas for an adolescent, so you’ll need to approach the issue with a high degree of sensitivity.
Since children model their behaviour on that of the adults around them, one of the best things you can do is focus on improving your own healthy-living activities. Increase the family’s intake of vegetables, incorporate more exercise into your life and encourage your kids to join you.
It’s best to focus on talking about health and healthy lifestyles, rather than discussing weight loss – and to adopt those healthy lifestyle changes as a family.
Exercise for teenagers
The facts: It’s recommended that teenagers do at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day, but about 80 per cent of Australian teenagers aren’t hitting that target.
On the flip side, statistics show that roughly the same number of
teenagers spend more than two hours a day using electronic devices for entertainment.
Take action: As well as setting some boundaries around screen time, commit to being more active together as a family.
Not only does research show that children who say their parents don’t exercise regularly have a 50 per cent greater risk of being unfit, but it also shows that parents who are active alongside their children are 35 per cent more likely to report that they believe their kids do enough activity.
Teens and stress
The facts: Common causes of stress for teenagers are school work and exams, lack of time, social relationships, family expectations for them to do well at school, and social media.
Plus, teenagers’ stress levels tend to rise when they’re not getting enough sleep.
Warning signs of stress include expressing out-of-character hostility toward family members, abandoning long-time friendships, avoiding parents and even physical symptoms, such as stomach aches and headaches.
Take action: Mission Australia’s 2017 Youth Survey found 45.3 per cent of Australian teenagers were concerned about their ability to cope with stress.
Exercise, a healthy diet and getting sufficient sleep can help teenagers deal with stress, but so can equipping them with effective coping skills.
Encourage your teen to write down the things that are causing them to feel stressed and to identify whether it’s something they can control. If the source of the stress is controllable, reassure them there are changes they can make and, together, devise a plan.