As the United States faces an ever-increasing waist line, some doctors and nutritionist are concerned that parents' attempts to keep their kids "healthy" will actually cause a backlash of poor choices, low self-esteem, and possibly eating disorders.

"No one would deny that being overweight poses risks to physical and emotional health or that an increasing number of American youth are facing those risks. What's troubling to some are the overt approaches to helping these kids - the focus on 'red light' foods, the after-school nutrition classes, the forced gym memberships, the public tsk-tsking."

Instead, doctors and nutritionist recommend that parents simply make sure they're preparing healthy meals and have healthy snacks in the house. Teach kids how to eat what they need without overeating, and allow them to sample a wide variety of foods. Read more at Coloradoan.com.

Low self-esteem may turn into a teenage drug addiction. Learn about self-esteem, adolescent substance abuse, and more about teen drug use at Teen-Help-Directory.com.

Labels: eating_disorders, healthy_eating, self_esteem