Diet and weight are huge issues in our society. Huge! I read HERE how you should never say about yourself that you are fat and ugly in the presence of your daughter or her life and body image will be ruined forever. The author ended the article with ~
Let us honour and respect our bodies for what they do instead of despising them for how they appear. Focus on living healthy and active lives, let our weight fall where it may, and consign our body hatred in the past where it belongs.
Then I read THIS where the author responded to something posted on Facebook.
The post on Facebook ~ If I ever have a daughter: She will always know how gorgeous she is. There will be no scales in the house. The words 'diet' and 'fat' will be like swear words. I never want her feeling like I do. The author responded in her article with ~
If you are going to try and control something, control what your child eats so they don't get fat in the first place. Teach them good eating habits, teach them to adhere to a healthy diet. That will save them far more grief than turning the words "fat" and "diet" into swear words. They won't have a bad connotation if you don't let your daughters get fat.
This is not an easy subject. We were careful with what our children ate when they were younger. I fed them very healthy food and wanted them to play outside a lot. We wouldn't let them eat much junk nor would we let them overeat. We were definitely considered "strict parents."
As our daughters got older, if we thought they were gaining weight, we would talk to them about it. I know this is supposedly a "taboo" subject but we felt no subject was "taboo" with our children. If we saw any sin in their lives, we would talk to them about it.
Do they think we did it the right way? I am not sure. I am not sure there is an exactly right way to handle this situation. Food and weight are extremely sensitive subjects but I don't think they should be avoided. Most men do like women who are in shape. Not necessarily thin but in shape and healthy. Being at a decent weight is much healthier also.
Each couple must seek wisdom in this area but I think it should definitely be talked about, modeled, and confronted in your children's lives. Even if you do everything right, they may struggle with their weight since we live in a society of abundance and junk food everywhere. We are admonished to be known for our moderation, however. This is a good quality to teach your children.
Let your moderation be known unto all men.
The Lord is at hand.
Philippians 4:5
