NEW YORK — Pam Vetter’s 15-year-old son balked when she told him she was opting for a healthier holiday season this year: fish rather than turkey; fewer carbs and sweets.
He threatened to purchase a turkey, stuffing, potatoes and pies and put together his own traditional meal.
“It’s a moral challenge,” said Vetter, 44, a nonreligious celebrant in West Hills, Calif., who conducts funerals. “Do you make part of your family angry for the holiday season by cutting out the carbs and sweets?”
Many parents are trying to figure out how to have a healthier holiday without depriving their kids of Christmas cookies, potato latkes and other treats. About a third of American kids are overweight or obese, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates.
Jill Houk, 41, a chef in Chicago, said she is worried her 10-year-old will regain some of the 10 pounds he recently lost. She said her son loves food and tends to overeat.
He has four sets of grandparents (she and her ex-husband are remarried) sending him chocolate Santas, cousins with no weight issues whom he’ll be hanging out with and a wedding the day after Christmas with an elaborate buffet.
“Of course, we’re going to be dining out all the time,” she said.
Studies show Americans gain about a pound between Thanksgiving and New Year’s; people who are overweight or obese are at risk of gaining five pounds, said Dr. Susan Z. Yanovski, an obesity expert at the National Institutes of Health. She said the weight gain is slight, but it accumulates.
Children face a greater challenge when it comes to holiday eating than adults, said experts. They have less impulse control — they see tempting sweets and want them without thinking of the consequences. Many are unsure which items are healthy and what an appropriate portion size is.
Vetter said her son has calmed down. They went out for a sushi dinner on Thanksgiving and he loved it, she said.
“We are still on track for more fish, and we don’t have the sweet carbs sitting around the house,” she said. “Now my son wants sushi for Christmas.”
