You might have heard about Maggie Goes on a Diet by Paul M. Kramer. It is a story about a 14 year old girl that is overweight. She gets on a diet and transforms to become normal weight, a soccer star and she also fits into the dress her Mom gets her. Now, this book is supposedly for 6 year old kids and up and the question here is if Maggie Goes on a Diet really is a book for kids.
Kids on Diets
It is not news that also kids go on diets today. Some kids do need to lose weight and with professional help a weight plan is made to ensure that the child reaches a healthy weight. Parents are highly responsible for helping their overweight children lose weight but the question is what motivates the diet for the child.
In Maggie Goes on a Diet it is the dress and being a popular girl in the soccer team but doesn’t this reinforce the idea of the think and successful person? Children are hardly in the dark when it comes to the body ideals of today and it is all too common to find children on a diet when they should absolutely not be.
Helping your Child Lose Weight
If you want to help your child lose weight there are many things that you can do. This book might become an inspiration but Expertmom is skeptic to the message it sends. While the idea of getting into sports and setting goals and targets is perfectly right and good both for children and adults the general message of this book seems a bit shallow.
On the other hand, if this is what our children are being bombarded with by the media daily, isn’t it better to get a book like Maggie Goes on a Diet and discuss the issue in the comfort of our homes? That you want to help your child lose weight is the first step but it is important to be picky about the method you choose. Remember that the self-esteem and confidence of your child is more important than the amount of pound she or he will lose this year.
Build your child and watch the weight get back to normal. Can Maggie Goes on a Diet be helpful? Expertmom will only be glad to hear your comments on the book as to how it works on the kids that truly need to lose weight!