Published on February 25, 2018
© Can Stock Photo Artisticco/19332197
As I do every year immediately after New Year’s, I start to remind clients to get laser-focused on their weight loss goals because time passes quickly, and the difficult eating challenges (for most)—Easter and Passover holidays—will be upon us. But, something else is also drawing near: the senior prom.
The senior prom is one of the most important events in a teenager’s high school experience, but for some it’s another reason to worry and feel stressed. Overweight girls may be anxious they won’t be asked to the prom; overweight boys may worry about asking and being rejected; and they both worry about finding a decent dress or tuxedo in their size. And whether or not a teenager has a date is not the issue; many prefer not to go with a date, preferring to go in a group. The point is: We want our kids to be comfortable, to feel good and to have the time of their lives on this one night they’ll always remember.
As a mom of a college junior, I remember vividly, as if it were yesterday, my daughter’s prom and all the events leading up to it. Three years ago almost to the day, my daughter and I began the prom experience and had such great times together. She had so much fun shopping and trying on a million gowns (and I cried at every try-on) and feeling beautiful until she found “the one” for her graduation ceremonies:
. . . and “the other one” for prom night!
It is a very special time, parents . . . and if your overweight or obese teenager is going to be anxious and stressed over the thought of trying to find that special gown or classic tuxedo, it’s not going to be a fun experience. And when you see their frustration and unhappiness at not being able to try on the formal attire they’d like to be able to wear, you’re going to feel it too.
With a few months before proms commence in May and June, parents of overweight and obese teens should think about this now: Prom night can be the catalyst to motivate teens to start changing bad eating habits. A teen can be down 2 sizes or more before starting to shop and then going for a final fitting. Losing weight for prom will instill confidence in your teenagers to continue eating right and losing weight over the summer, a time when teens want to feel and look great . . . especially before heading off to colleges and universities mid-to-late August.
If your teens go off to college overweight or obese in the fall, their weight is going to get a lot worse freshman year. Count on it.
Slimcerely yours℠,
