Talk to your kids about their eating habits carefully.Weight is never an easy subject. It can be risky for parents to raise the issue of eating habits and weight with their kids.

“No kid ever lost weight because his mother told him he was fat,” a friend told me when I was worried about my son’s weight.

It turns out she was right, according to a new study. The study was directed by Dr. Berge at university of Minnesota. She found that kids whose parents discussed eating in a healthy way were less likely to have eating problems. But 64% of the kids whose parents focused on their weight turned to unhealthy eating behaviors. Some kids went on extreme diets, and others even ate no food. So eating disorders were caused. Things were worse when fathers joined in the discussions with their daughters and focused on weight. “Fathers should never comment on their daughters’ weight,” says Berge. Instead, she suggests, fathers should focus on their daughters’ interests. That can help them feel loved and confident enough to work on their weight issues.

How should parents talk to kids about eating behaviors? According to Berge, they should avoid focusing on how much their kids weigh. They should talk to them about being healthy. Don’t compare them with others. Ideally, both parents should share the responsibility. If that’s not possible, choose the parent whose words cause the least amount of stress and who demonstrates healthy eating.

The study found that some kids had fewer eating problems because they _____________.