Someone showed me the April issue of Vogue with the article written by a mom who discusses her daughters’ weight struggles. It fascinated me because I have worked with so many families like this and she used a stoplight method to help her daughter lose weight.
I have been teaching kids and their parents how to control their weight using a stoplight based curriculum for 10 years. Though we use a similar categorization of foods, the program I teach seems different than the one described in the magazine.
We emphasize health and teaching families the tools they need to establish healthy habits that last a lifetime. We very rarely discuss weight.
We emphasize health and teaching families the tools they need to establish healthy habits that last a lifetime. We very rarely discuss weight.
Most of kids that come to us have been measured at above the 95 percentile in BMI (85% for kids with co-morbidities), but the goal is to empower kids and give them the tools and confidence they need to make healthy choices, not to go on a diet. We discuss the scale as simply one of several measurement tools to measure BMI (Body Mass Index) and we discuss BMI as a tool used to measure health. We look at trends over time and we strongly discouraging getting on the scale more than once a week. The definition of success that we discuss with the families is for kids to maintain their weight as they grow, resulting in a declining, healthier BMI.
As in the article, all foods are categorized as Red, Yellow or Green Light foods but the foods in our program are categorized differently than the program discussed in the article. Foods with high nutritional value and very low calorie density like vegetables and water, are Green Light foods. Foods that have a more moderate calorie density but still have high nutritional value such as fruits, lean proteins, whole grains and lowfat dairy products are Yellow Light foods. Red Light foods have little or no nutritional value and are high in fat, sugar and calorie density.
The goal is for kids to reduce the number of Red Lights eaten while increasing the number of Green Lights and keeping and eye on the portions of those Yellow Lights. In addition, we talk to the kids about the importance of exercise and they actively try to exercise more. We also discuss why we eat when we are not hungry, why skipping meals is unhealthy, how to fuel our body in a healthful way so we can be successful in school, sports and other activities that we enjoy.
The goal is for kids to reduce the number of Red Lights eaten while increasing the number of Green Lights and keeping and eye on the portions of those Yellow Lights. In addition, we talk to the kids about the importance of exercise and they actively try to exercise more. We also discuss why we eat when we are not hungry, why skipping meals is unhealthy, how to fuel our body in a healthful way so we can be successful in school, sports and other activities that we enjoy.
One difference that I noticed between the program that I teach and the one described in the article is that we also teach kids to avoid foods that have no nutritional value, even if they are fat-free. We call these habit foods. For example, we prefer that kids learn to find a healthier substitute to cream cheese than non-fat cream cheese because non-fat cream cheese has no nutritional value. We suggest healthy substitutions like unsweetened applesauce on whole grain bread with some cinnamon. Or a whole grain tortilla or English muffin with light mozzarella cheese melted on top.
Rather than restricting foods, the focus is on making healthier choices.
Rather than restricting foods, the focus is on making healthier choices.
There are things we need to teach the kids, but parents play a huge role in this process as well. I spend a great deal of time with the parents discussing how to best support their kids in a positive way. This includes discussions on how to be a good role model and how to set appropriate limits around food. Spending 6 months with families allows me to get to know them, their habits and their relationships. It allows families to make mistakes and learn the most important tool of all, how to get back on track!
