This post is brought to you by Dr. Amy McPherson, Senior Scientist at the Bloorview Research Institute and Christine Provvidenza, Knowledge Translation Lead at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.
Having conversations about weight and body image can be challenging for children, their families and healthcare professionals. This has become extremely relevant over the pandemic where children’s bodies have grown and changed while away from school.
Existing resources on this topic are sparse and rarely include guidance relevant to children with different abilities. Our team of researchers, knowledge translation experts, families with lived experience and health literacy specialists have developed a series of practical, evidence-based resources that are inclusive of children of all sizes, shapes and abilities. Content and layout were guided by knowledge translation and visual design best practices to promote actionable messages.
A specific parent guide, launched in August 2021, provides information to all parents on:
- How and when to talk about weight and health with your child
- What words to use
- How to respond to weight-related teasing
- How to talk about body diversity
The parent guide complements an earlier Casebook that provides best research evidence and practices to support healthcare providers to have positive weight-related conversations with children and their families. Healthcare providers can also use the parent guide as a way to start body-positive conversations with children and families.
Download these free resources here: www.hollandbloorview.ca/weightconversations
