As a parent, it can be overwhelming to talk to your child about their health. Especially if it concerns their weight. Bringing up weight loss or exercise with your kids might be causing you a lot of anxiety and Dr. Noha Polack suggests a supportive and loving way to go about it.
Building a healthy foundation with your kids can be fun and exciting. Learning about nutrition in a playful way and making movement part of your daily routine can take the stress out of addressing a weight issue later on.
Shifting the focus from weight to healthy living gives children agency to actively partake in their health. It also gives support and encouragement to your child to avoid shaming them and causing hurt and resentment.
Dr. Noha Polack
Dr. Noha Polack is a board-certified pediatrician, operating a private practice in Union City and Bayonne, New Jersey, since 1996. She received her bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences from Rutgers University. She later obtained her medical degree from Rutgers University in Newark, NJ., formerly known as UMDNJ, and completed her training in pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY. In 1999, she launched her private practice, Progressive Pediatrics, where she and her team care for children and their families.
Dr. Polack specializes in helping teens and pre-teens with body image and weight issues. She believes that treating diseases like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease is both a physical and mental challenge. Helping her patients work on their mindset and habits is her way of making a difference in the world. Her passion is advocating for and empowering teens and pre-teens to help them love their bodies and take control of their health journey. Additionally, Dr. Polack teaches professionals and parents who encounter children in this age group to use the right words to communicate positive messages about health instead of focusing on weight.
Dr. Polack lives to inspire young people around her. After becoming the first doctor in her family, five of her cousins followed in her footsteps and became medical professionals. She has two children who attended public school in New Jersey and are now adults working on their undergraduate and graduate degrees, respectively. She is also an avid speaker on adolescent wellness, health, and empowerment and can be contracted for speaking engagements.
Dr. Polack's Resources
np@progressivepediatrics.com
The Jōrni Resources
https://thejornipodcast.com for show notes
https://thejorniblog.com for more holistic healing and mental health resources
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