Email from Anonymous
I am 14 years old and I am teased about my weight in school. Most of my weight is in my stomach and thighs. I would love to lose weight but I can't afford to spend any money.
Lisa's Response
First of all, if you are a minor living with parents or a guardian, you need to conuslt with them or your family physician first. They can give you advice on how to begin. Sometimes children who are overweight may have problems that have nothing to do with their eating habits - perhaps it's a gland problem. That's why it's important you talk to your parents or doctor first.
In the meantime, there are things you can do to help your situation:
1) Get some exercise. Even if you jog in place or do jumping jacks in your home, that will help you burn calories. When you're watching TV, just stand up and start jogging in place for least 20 minutes. Do this 3 times per week.
Walking through the mall is also a fun, effective exercise. Grab a few of your friends and go to your favorite mall to walk around for about an hour. Not only can you check out the latest styles, but you can get some exercise and burn some calories in the process.
2) Limit your fast food intake. For kids, it's sometimes harder to resist fast food since you and your friends tend to hang out there often. Plus, the food is pretty cheap.
Fast food is loaded with saturated fat and sodium and really shouldn't be eaten at all. However, it's OK to treat yourself once and a while.
If your friends insist on going to a fast food place, order one of their grilled chicken salads with light dressing instead of a burger and fries.
3) Pack a lunch for school. The food in school cafeterias is very unhealthy and not much better than fast food. If you can, take your lunch so you can eat healthier foods like a turkey sandwich, fruit and vegetables.
4) Another thing you need to remember is that kids are cruel. Those bullies that are teasing you about your weight are only teasing you because they are unhappy about something in their life. They look for weak people with lower self esteem to make them feel better about themselves. Bullies are very sad people on the inside but they try to cover their hurt by teasing you. Don't let them get to you!
It's great you want to lose weight to feel better about yourself, but just understand that you are not any less of a person because you aren't thin like some of your classmates. You are still a beautiful person and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise!
