To-do list for teens: study for SAT, gain 40 pounds

Of course it annoys me that the headline says " Researcher Says Anorexia May Be Genetic " because it is clear from the article that the message is that Anorexia "is" genetic, but, never mind.



The best part of that AP story is buried toward the end:

Johnson said the research has helped to identify groups most at risk of developing the disease, such as girls ages 11 to 14. ''Girls are expected to gain a third of their adult weight during that time,'' or about 40 pounds, he said.

This is something that comes up poignantly in Doris Smeltzer's book, Andrea's Voice .



Just when our kids start internalizing the messages about "obesity epidemic" and their coaches start telling them to knock off the pizza... they are also programmed to blossom into their adult proportions. Let's not let that be a surprise or a bad thing.

As a society we need to normalize and celebrate the concept that adolescence is a time of rapid change - and weight gain . Yay!

Important Rites of Passage: SAT test, first beard growth, first period, finding out Mom doesn't know her times tables, driving test, first job, bat mitzvah, first pimple, 40 pounds, first date, finding out about Santa...

Ritual to bypass: first diet.

Repeat after me:"I've gained weight, Mom!" "Congratulations!"