A recent study at the University of Texas in Austin and Stanford University interviewed 692 girls between the ages of 13 and 17. The girls who were dieting, using appetite suppressants and laxatives were more likely to be overweight three years later than those who were not dieting.
Few programs exist that are specially targeted to the teen-ager.
Teens are left with dieting myths, misconceptions and downright incorrect dieting information. As parents, you need to continue to offer balanced meals, healthy snacks and exercise opportunities for your teen and yourself. Teens need to be armed with correct information about healthy weight control. Teen programs need to help the teen-ager develop a healthier body image, use food for energy and health, and ignore the social and media pressures to be ultra thin. The nondiet approach to weight management teaches teens to take responsibility for their internal hunger cues and learn to eat when they are hungry, not when they are bored, upset or tired.