5 Untrue Myths About Teen Weight Loss

1. Teens Are Destined To Be The Same Weight As Their Parents: Although there are genetic components of weight and body type, there are countless teen weight loss success stories where teens actually used overweight family members as the inspiration to get healthy despite their genetic blue print. These teens simply did not want to repeat the patterns and health problems they saw in family members. Teens successful at weight loss emulate healthy family habits and discard unhealthy ones.

2. Teens Who Have Been Overweight Their Entire Lives Have No Chance Of Losing Weight: Many teens who are overweight today were chubby babies and toddlers. However, countless heavy babies who grew into overweight teens have developed new habits which led to a new body. It really doesn't matter what you weighed in the past. Your future health is what is really important and that is entirely up to you.

3. Teens Who Have Failed At Weight Loss Before Will Fail Again: Any past failures will simply teach you where you need to improve in the future. Perhaps there were elements you didn't like in a certain diet or boredom set in with your work out plan. All issues that caused failure in the past can and should most definitely be fixed. Take an honest inventory and address and then change any past sticking points and your chances for long term success will only increase.

4. Teens Don't Want The Help Of Their Parents: It's absolutely vital that any weight loss decision made by a teen is made on his own for his own reasons. No one should want to change themselves for someone else. Teens are entirely capable of digesting information about health and making their own decisions.

That said, parents and friends can be vital sources of support on which to lean. Teens benefit from and appreciate parents who are willing to cook healthy meals, provide healthy snacks, join in workouts and help seek out resources that may help the teen reach his goals.

5. Teens Who Get Serious About Weight Loss Or Getting Healthy Will Eventually Suffer From Eating Disorders Like Anorexia And Bulimia: Some people are afraid to support a teen in her quest to get healthy because they fear the teen will become so obsessed with counting calories and working out that eventually the teen will develop an eating disorder or bulimia.

While these concerns are certainly understandable, statistics just do not support them. Only 4-5% of teens suffer from eating disorders. But one third of all American teens are overweight or obese. Further, introducing teens to healthy eating programs and sensible work out plans will help arm them against any unhealthy lifestyle habits - whether that means eating too much or eating too little.

Never take weight loss myths as fact. We are all completely free to make our own truths and forge our own destiny. Regardless of our genetic blueprint or our diet or exercise past, every day presents us with a new opportunity to make better, healthier choices. Everyday is a new start in which we can make healthy choices that will build upon one another to eventually form a healthy new lifestyle and a healthy new body. Simply making healthy choices and holding yourself to a high standard each day will ensure that none of these myths become true for you.