Fabulous to be female

The most recent surveys (conducted by phone!) reveal that about 65% of adult Americans are overweight, 30% are obese. It is projected that by the year 2015, 75% of Americans will be overweight and 41% will be obese. You and your kids are at risk.

Some of us overeat when we are emotionally stressed. Take this survey to determine to what extent you eat to manage your feelings and emotions:

Assign points: 1- never, 2=rarely, 3=occasionally, 4=often, 5=always

1. When you get mad at someone, including yourself, do you get the urge to eat?
2. Do you reach for a snack or head for the refrigerator when you feel annoyed?
3. If someone or something disappoints you, do you feel like eating?
4. When you're ticked off all day, do you eat more than usual?
5. Do you gravitate toward food when you're bored?
6. Do you comfort feelings of loneliness by eating?
7. If you feel restless, is food the first thing you think of to calm yourself?
8. Is food your friend when you feel empty inside or unloved?
9. Do you ease feelings of stress by munching?
10. Does eating help soothe you when life seems overwhelming?
11. Are big changes in life followed by weight gain?
12. Does worry cause you to eat more than usual?
13. Do you ever say to yourself, "I feel fat anyway, I may as well eat"?
14. Do you ever eat to punish yourself?
15. Do you ever eat to reward yourself?
16. Does a general feeling of agitation cause you to snack?
17. When you're feeling moody, do you feel like eating?
18. Do you crave extra food when you have "the blues"?
19. When you're anxious and you don't know why, do you eat to take the edge off?
20. Do you eat more when you feel excited?
21. Do you overeat when you celebrate?

Interpretation: a score = to or > 77 suggests that you regularly eat to manage feelings and emotions. If some groups of questions seem to have higher scores than others, it may indicate that one or more specific emotional sates push you to eat:

• If answers to questions 1-4 are mostly 4s or 5s, you probably eat to stuff down anger
• If answers to questions 5-8 are mostly 4s or 5s, you tend to reach for food when you are bored or feel lonely
• If answers to questions 9-12 are mostly 4s or 5s, stressful events or times in your life promote overeating
• If answers to questions 13-15 are mostly 4s or 5s, your body-image and self-esteem need a boost
• If answers to questions 16-19 are mostly 4s or 5s, your day-to-day moods urge you to munch

Here's a link to an article for adults (Web MD) on emotional eating. Read the article if you find from the above survey that you do, indeed, practice emotional eating on a regular basis. There are activities/strategies for turning around emotional eating included.

Here's a link to an article for teens about emotional eating. If your teen seems to practice this, read the article and share it with your teen. There are strategies for overcoming emotional eating included.

"I saw an angel in the block of marble and I just chiseled 'till I set him free."

- Michelangelo

Michelangelo chiseled away marble to give form to his amazing sculptures. And just as Michelangelo believed the form already existed inside the marble, I believe the adult your child will become is already present, inside your child, waiting to be revealed and empowered.

We can't use a chisel like Michelangelo did, we must use other tools and techniques to free and empower our children. What are our tools as parents and caring adults? Here's my list of the top 5 things you can do to help your child become the amazing person she/he is meant to become:

1. Love unconditionally. Apply generously and repeatedly. This will give your child the confidence she needs to believe in herself and to try new things. 
2. Guide your child with wisdom and patience. Share what you know; do it gently.
3. Provide opportunities for learning. Not all kids learn at the same time. Watch for readiness, especially if your child learns at a different rate than his peers.
4. Give your son or daughter opportunities to try new things. Whether your child succeeds or fails is NOT the point, the important factor is that he/she tries and doesn't give up.
5. Readily forgive your daughter or son. For whatever it is. Forgive. Just do it.

I recently went to Rome and Florence, Italy. I saw Michelangelo's sculptures. They are amazing works of art. Here in California, I frequently have a chance to meet kids - your kids. They too are amazing pieces of work/art/humanity. Like Michelangelo's sculptures, your kids enrich the world by their presence. They offer the world the gifts of hope, joy, and confidence.

In Italy I whispered a prayer of thanks to Michelangelo for gifting us with the beauty of his sculptures. Here in California I whisper a prayer of thanks to each of you caring parents and adults for investing in kids. Thank you; your contributions gift all of us with amazing and wonderful human beings.