Top 5 Mistakes to Avoid When Losing Weight During Puberty

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Ngày cập nhật gần nhất: 15/4/2026

Content

1. Over-exercising

2. Surgery

3. Fasting

4. Using Weight Loss Pills or Diet Products

5. Cut down on foods high in fat.

1. Over-exercising

Exercise is a recommended way to lose weight during puberty, but it’s important to maintain a balanced workout routine for effectiveness. Pushing too hard in an attempt to lose weight quickly can lead to physical and mental issues, including eating disorders. Instead of over-exercising, encourage your child to engage in simple, enjoyable activities like walking, playing football, jumping rope, or badminton whenever they have free time. This will help establish a routine of physical activity, keeping them active and motivated while maintaining healthy eating habits.

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2. Surgery

Weight loss surgery: Many parents mistakenly believe that excessive childhood obesity is genetic or hereditary, leading them to consider surgery to remove excess fat. However, this is a risky approach, and its effectiveness is still under evaluation. Although numerous hospitals worldwide have performed successful weight loss surgeries for children, no long-term studies have been conducted to assess the health effects on children and adolescents. The impact on health remains uncertain, and we cannot predict what happens to children who undergo weight loss surgery over their lifetimes. Understanding the long-term success rates, the recurrence of obesity, and potential complications years later is crucial for parents to make informed decisions about whether to pursue weight loss surgery for their teens. Like adult weight loss surgery, this should be considered only as a last resort. Parents must weigh all the risks before making a final decision.

Weight loss surgery can be highly harmful.

3. Fasting

Fasting is one of the most common methods considered for weight loss during puberty. However, it's crucial to explain to children that not only is this method ineffective, but it can also backfire. In fact, skipping meals can leave the body feeling extremely hungry, leading to overeating. If it's not yet mealtime, children may turn to unhealthy snacks, which can result in weight gain rather than weight loss. Moreover, skipping meals often leads to fatigue, irritability, and lack of focus, which can negatively affect their studies and daily activities due to low energy.

Instead of fasting, you can prepare balanced and healthy meals for your child. Encourage them to choose nutritious foods that help maintain a healthy weight. However, parents should be cautious not to impose overly restrictive diets on young children, as some diets require the complete elimination of certain food groups, which may not be suitable for a growing child. Additionally, dieting for weight loss during puberty can lead to nutrient deficiencies and prevent optimal growth and development.

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4. Using Weight Loss Pills or Diet Products

While weight loss pills may offer quick results, most of these products have not been tested for quality or safety. Some of these pills may even cause harmful side effects. Similarly, when it comes to diet products, great caution is needed. Many of these products contain artificial sweeteners, unhealthy fats, and other ingredients that can be harmful to health. For young children, whose bodies are still developing, using weight loss pills or dietary supplements can lead to serious health issues, including heart problems, chest pain, insomnia, stress, digestive system damage, and even psychological effects.

Weight loss pills can be harmful to health.

5. Cut down on foods high in fat.

When aiming to lose weight, reducing fatty foods from the diet is a common approach. However, for teenagers, this may not be ideal as it could negatively impact their growth and development. In fact, research has shown that a fat-restricted diet is not only unhelpful but can even promote unhealthy weight gain, especially when healthy fats are replaced with sugar – a major enemy for those trying to shed pounds.

Fats are an essential nutrient in a balanced diet, playing a vital role in a child’s development, particularly brain development. Therefore, instead of eliminating fats from your child’s diet, focus on replacing unhealthy fats with healthier options. If your child wants to lose weight, encourage them to eat more healthy fats such as nuts, olive oil, and fatty fish while limiting unhealthy fats found in fried and processed foods.

Healthy fats benefit the body when used correctly.

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