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Low-carb Diets and Teens
Nonsense or Common Sense?
By Kelly Burgess
"I have two daughters, 17 and 16, and it's so normal for them to exert their independence by going out to eat," says Bark. "It can make you crazy, but you really have to be careful not to push, or they go even further in the other direction."
Both professional and personal experiences have taught Bark and Simontacchi that keeping the lines of communication open is important. If your child tells you she is on or wants to be on a low-carb diet, make sure she understands what healthy choices she can make within those parameters. Explain the pros and cons of low-carb – particularly the concerns about loss of bone mass – and make sure he or she has healthy, low-carb choices at home, since those that are offered in restaurants and fast-food places often rely heavily on unhealthy, saturated fats.
Simontacchi says that making deals works also. For example, tell him that you'll support his low-carb diet approach if he promises to eat at least two vegetables per day.
And don't give up. Like many other things that they do from the time they're toddlers until they hit about 30, this, too, shall pass. Eventually, they will grow out of the teen junk food phase and remember the good food habits you've always tried to instill.
