Chapter 6 Parent Letter and Activities

Chapter 6: Managing Weight and Body Composition

Dear Parent or Guardian,

Being overweight or underweight is a concern for many teens. Body weight, however, is
more than an appearance issue: the process of adding or losing weight can result in health
risks. The focus of your teen’s current health chapter is the relationship between body composition, diet, fitness, and health.

The following topics will be explored in this chapter:

Maintaining a Healthy Weight.

Fad Diets and Eating Disorders.

Nutrition for Individual Needs.

Your involvement and participation in your teen’s health education is important. To support our classroom work, please complete at least one of the following activities with your teen: Ask your son or daughter to calculate his or her Body Mass Index and explain the significance of this figure. Then, ask your teen to discuss how he or she feels about his or her
body weight. If the image is distorted, help your child objectively assess his or her body
type. If your child has an actual weight problem, assist him or her in seeking proper professional
advice. Discuss with your teen the influence that advertising has in presenting unrealistic body
types as ideal images. Ask your teen to explain the connection between body weight and caloric intake/caloric output. Have your teen examine his or her food choices, particularly snacks, and the amount of time spent in exercise. Work together to create a plan with the appropriate
balance of caloric intake/caloric output and physical activities.

Please plan other activities you think will help your teen understand and practice the concepts presented in this chapter. Thank you for supporting our classroom work. Feel free to contact me if you wish to discuss your teen’s health education.

Sincerely,

Health Teacher