Media puts too much "weight" on dieting

Dana-Lynn Weiss's essay, "Weight Watchers," in the April 2012 issue of Vogue magazine shines a light on the disturbing truth about our society's fixation on weight and the unhealthy relationships it creates with food and body image. The article glorifies dieting instead of providing credible and useful information for parents seeking to better their child's health. There is much more to health than weight. Parents need to consider the safety and well-being of the child before imposing restrictive diets, as lasting effects are likely to go beyond a smaller clothing size. Samantha Lewandowski, MS, RD, from The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt states, “Especially with young children, the risks of a weight loss diet greatly outweigh the potential benefits as growth can be impacted. In addition, dieting leads to disordered eating behaviors and potential for a diagnosable eating disorder." SAGE believes that all foods fit on your plate when practicing variety, balance and moderation. The goal of our program is to help students develop a positive relationship with food, seeing it as both fun and nutritious. SAGE's Spotlight Program^® teaches that there are no "bad foods" or "good foods". A balanced diet includes all kinds of foods. We reinforce these messages through nutrition education materials, which provide additional guidance on healthy eating. Find out more about SAGE's Spotlight Program here.