Ess, ess, mein kinder! (Eat, eat, my child!) Maybe contemporary Jewish bubbes aren’t quite as vocal as their forebears were in encouraging their grandkids to eat more, but evidence suggests that many Jewish children are still too fat. Since the 1960s, the prevalence of childhood obesity has tripled for American children, but the results are even worse for Jewish kids.
A 2006 study of children in two Chicago suburbs, the Jewish Community Health Survey of West Rogers Park and Peterson Park, concluded that a Jewish child “…is approximately twice as likely to be obese as the average American child.”
Heavy meals are a part of many Jewish holidays and celebrations. There’s an old joke that most Jewish holidays celebrate that someone tried to kill us, we won, so let’s eat! Unfortunately, the typical Ashkenazi diet features meat and fried foods but not many fruits and vegetables. With Shabbat dinners, Passover seders, jelly doughnuts at Chanukah, etc., there’s ample opportunity for our kids to pack on the pounds.
Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move campaign has focused attention on the hazards of childhood obesity and inactivity. Overweight kids are much more likely to develop Type 2 diabetes and have increased risks for cardiovascular disease.
Although many parents console themselves by thinking that “it’s just a phase” or “he’ll outgrow his baby fat,” the reality is that up to 75 percent of obese children become obese adults.
Unfortunately, the very real concern about childhood obesity has caused many parents to put their kids on a diet. This is a big mistake for two reasons. The first is that dieting is counterproductive for kids. Research shows that heavy children and teens gain more weight when dieting than they would if they weren’t on a diet. The second reason is that virtually all eating disorders get their start with a diet.
Jewish children, especially girls, are not immune to eating disorders. An article in the New York Times last year described the alarm rabbis expressed over “… a wave of anorexia and other eating disorders among teenage girls” in Orthodox enclaves. Studies of high school girls in Brooklyn and Toronto found higher rates of disordered eating among Jewish girls.
In Israel, like the U.S., about 2 percent of Jewish adolescent girls have a severe eating disorder. Concern that unrealistically thin models contribute to developing an eating disorder prompted the Knesset to pass legislation last month requiring Israeli models to produce a medical report showing that their BMI (body mass index) is above 18.5. This translates to a minimum weight of 119 pounds on a 5-foot-8 frame. The new law also requires advertising disclosures if digital manipulation was used to make the model look thinner. The goal of these measures is to reduce the pressure children feel to emulate the emaciated models.
So what should a parent who is concerned about a child’s weight do? If dieting is hazardous for kids, how do you help an overweight child?
First, recognize that most overweight kids don’t need to lose weight. If they’re still growing, they can just maintain their current weight and they’ll become thinner. Instead of putting a child on a diet, you can encourage healthy eating. Make fruits and vegetables more available while limiting, but not forbidding, calorie-rich snacks.
Countless studies have demonstrated the relationship between television viewing and obesity. Having a TV in a child’s bedroom or having it on during mealtimes contributes to weight gain. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a maximum of two hours per day of screen time. Occasionally watch a program with your child so you can discuss the unrealistic images that are being portrayed.
Parents can influence their kids by modeling healthy behaviors. Regardless of your weight, let your kids see you enjoy eating veggies, and don’t use candy and desserts as rewards. Avoid comments about your own weight or dieting. Instead of telling a child to get some exercise, you can go for a walk or a bike ride with your child.
Despite the rich foods associated with many Jewish traditions, parents can help their children to a healthy weight without diets and the increased risk of an eating disorder.
Edward Abramson, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist in Lafayette, a member of Temple Sinai in Oakland and the author of “It’s NOT Just Baby Fat!: 10 Steps to Help Your Child to a Healthy Weight.”