Episode 265: How to Help Kids Build a Healthy Relationship With Food and Their Bodies with Dr. Joey Skelton
/How can we help our kids build a healthy relationship with food and their bodies without making weight the focus?
In a world filled with diet culture, weightloss drugs, body comparisons, and confusing messages about what kids “should” and “shouldn’t” eat, it can be hard to know what to say—or what to do—as a parent.
On this episode of The Balanced Parent Podcast, I am joined by pediatrician and family-based weight management expert Dr. Joey Skelton, author of Your Child Is Not Their Weight. Together, we explore how parents can support their children’s health without creating shame, food anxiety, or an unhealthy focus on weight.
You’ll hear about:
Why a child’s weight should NOT be the sole measure of their health
How to avoid labeling foods as “good” or “bad”
Why food can—and should—be about more than nutrition
How parents can model a healthy relationship with food and their own bodies
What to do when kids hear diet-culture messages from friends, school, media, or other adults
Why restricting foods or pressuring kids to eat can backfire
How exposure and familiarity can help children become more flexible eaters
The importance of regular family meals and predictable routines
How to make small, sustainable changes without turning your home into a “diet” environment
What parents can do if they feel they’ve already made mistakes around food or weight
Why giving yourself—and your kids—grace is such an important part of the process
Resources:
Remember, your child’s weight does not define their health, their worth, or who they are. Creating a healthy relationship with food and their body starts with the environment we build at home—one rooted in structure, flexibility, connection, and compassion.
Tune in to this thoughtful conversation for a balanced, practical look at how we can support our kids’ health without letting weight, diet culture, or food rules take over.