The hardest things in life .

With a teenage daughter in the house , weight is no laughing matter . I have a son who is struggling to maintain his weight through football and a daughter who wishes her weight would go away . I have failed in this area many times , especially in my own life . It is difficult to watch this heartache with my daughter . Many of her friends are simply twigs . Barely 100 pounds . Our family has a more muscular , heavier build . The scales are not as friendly . Yes , I know muscle weighs more than fat , but try telling that to your daughter who wishes she was a size 0 . I am concerned with my lack of preparation in this area of parenting . I have tried the don't discuss it approach . I have tried the let's talk about it approach . Eating habits are critical to one's health and I realize that more than the average person because of my medical background . It is sad to see how obesity has overtaken the population and it is even sadder to see young people struggling with eating disorders because they cannot control other things in their life . I regret many things as a parent . Words I cannot take back or something I should have done differently . With this weight thing I have got to find a careful balance for our family . This involves our meals , snack food , eating out , conversations about people's weight and how one looks in their clothes . Is my daughter fat ? No . Does she need to eat better ? Yes . We all need to eat better . It is hard to plan a healthy meal each day and fight the pull of fast foods . What CAN I do ? Offer my unconditional love . Give her information about food choices . Involve her in meal planning . What is going to be the hardest thing to do ? Combat the fashion image of being skinny . Helping my daughter know she is more than her pant size , that is the hardest cookie to eat .