Personal Trainer Q & A Category: Diet, Nutrition & Weight Management
Personal Trainer Q & A Contributor: Bernie Bray
Weight issues in the teenage age group are not new to the UAE. Teenagers in Dubai and Abu Dhabi are no different from teenagers in other parts of the world when it comes to why and how weight issues arise. Getting to grips with this growing trend doesn’t need to be difficult. With the right advise and guidance teenager and parents in the UAE can get on the right track to a fitter, leaner and healthier lifestyle. Bernie Bray is a mobile female personal trainer in Abu Dhabi who regularly works with teenagers. Her skills and knowledge about all things health and fitness can point you in the right direction.
As well as the physical problems that can arise from teenagers being overweight or underweight many also suffer from psychological and emotional stress which in turn can lead to other issues. As a personal trainer who works with teenagers in the UAE what advise would you give to teenagers and parents who need help.
Most important is to firstly understand this subject can be very sensitive when taking your child’s emotions into account. So approach discussion with caution and seek help from a professional. I would personally analyze the child’s emotions and reactions to
training and indirectly ask crucial questions which could lead to understanding your child more. In regards to addressing the teenager/child I would simply get to know them and reassure them they can ask me any questions and to always seek advise for any
concerns they may have.A good balance of healthy eating and regular exercise can help teenagers to maintain a healthier lifestyle into adulthood. For younger teenagers this approach can be problematic for parents in the UAE. What would you say are the best ways (fun and creative) to encourage teenagers to get healthy and maintain a balanced, healthier lifestyle?
Motivate your child into being as active as possible within the schools exercise/sports programs. Reward good behavior in exercise for instance if your child joins the school football team. Acknowledge all achievements.
Some teenagers are naturally underweight and this can lead to emotional stress. Are there any ways that underweight teenagers can gain weight without unhealthy eating habits? Do you think exercise combined with healthy eating can be used as a way to gain weight?
Anyone that follows a healthy balanced diet involving all major food groups will in turn achieve a healthy weight. For instance making sure your child is consuming all the major food groups fat, carbohydrates, proteins, nutrients etc in the right quantities. Consuming your 5 portions of fruit/vegetable a day can also lead to considerable healthy weight gain. Be sure to make sure your child is consuming
enough calories per day. If your ever curious as to how much your child should consume per day or portion control you can refer to www.choosemyplate.govOlder teenagers (16 – 19) who are overweight are often eating too much fast food. With so much fast food on offer how can teenagers be educated to eat a more balanced, healthy diet which isn’t seen as being boring or taking too much time to prepare?
I would definitely suggest through some form of social media whether that’s educating them through a particular person promoting healthy lifestyles on twitter. Or indirectly educating them through a game that promotes healthy eating.
Like adults, many teenagers who are overweight reach breaking point and decide wrongly to crash or ‘fad’ diet. Clever marketing tactics on new fad diets make it seem like it’s the solution to all their problems. Can you explain why the vast majority of these fad or crash diets don’t work in the long run and what your alternative advise would be.
People generally fail at these popular fad diets because they get bored. Healthy eating is a way of life. Not just a crazy calorie diet that quickly sheds a few pounds. You’ll put weight back on twice as fast as you lose. Much like everything in our life our diet requires balance. Through a balanced diet you will achieve a healthy weight.
Many teenagers are embarrassed by their weight issue – being overweight or underweight and are often too embarrassed to approach the subject or seek help/advise? As a personal trainer in the UAE how would you approach this?
I would begin by indirectly approaching the subject of weight loss with my client and educate them on how you can achieve this in a healthy way. I would also be sure to reassure my client to seek my advice and ask any questions or queries they may have on any subject they may feel apprehensive about.
For parents and teenagers alike what are your top tips to ‘avoid’ issues relating to teenage weight problems in the UAE?
My advice would be to provide more balance within your child’s diet. Don’t be too flexible which can lead to fussy eating and don’t allow teenagers to have fast food whenever they please. Provide them with healthy meal options through out the week at home and school then reward them with a ‘cheat’ meal over the weekend. So they learn to appreciate healthy eating and understand it’s fine to have fast food but only in smaller quantities and not so frequently.