“The strong research basis of the book is impressive. Neumark-Sztainer brings the research findings and strategies to life with numerous examples and personal anecdotes from her own experience raising teenagers. The book is an interesting and easy read as the text is broken up by excerpts from researchers in the field, case examples, and text boxes containing specific strategies and tips for parents to try....This book is an excellent resource for parents looking for strategies on how to help their teenager (male or female) cope with eating or weight-related problems. It is relevant for all parents as it provides beneficial information for the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and positive body image more generally.”

—Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Book Reviews


“The author packs the book with concrete, practical tips. However, she also takes care to avoid making parents feel overwhelmed....Neumark-Sztainer also encourages a flexible approach....This is an excellent book on an extremely important and timely topic, and a compassionate and practical guide for parents. I would highly recommend this book to any parent of children or teenagers, and I believe it could also be of interest to a range of health care professionals working with families who are seeking ways to improve their children's eating behaviors and physical activity.”

—The Academy for Eating Disorders Forum


“In this thorough and sensible book, Neumark-Sztainer shows parents how to help their teens make wise food choices-now and in the future. With the blunt advice that one should never 'go on a diet,' the author stresses lifestyle changes, not quick fixes. Parents can be positive role models by providing healthy breakfasts and dinners, reducing kids' time watching TV images of thin people, and helping kids make wise choices of food on the go. Teens need to know (and they don't) what a portion is, what a calorie is, and why these are important. The approach here is practical and not authoritarian; the author knows it's difficult to ask teens to give up fries and large sodas; she knows families eat out, but it doesn't need to be a high-fat, high-calorie experience...Excellent...”

—Library Journal


“The book's overall message emphasizes size acceptance and self-acceptance. Whether one needs eating disorder support groups, centers, websites or other books, both the bibliography and resource section are thorough. It's a great resource.”

—Eating Disorders


“The pages of this book are packed with one good idea after another. In a scientifically sound and caring way, Dr. Neumark-Sztainer addresses topics that are central to the health and happiness of all girls and boys in their teenage years.”

—Kelly D. Brownell, PhD, Director, Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders; author of Food Fight: The Inside Story of the Food Industry, America's Obesity Crisis, and What We Can Do About It


“Dr. Neumark-Sztainer is an internationally recognized expert on body image and eating problems in teenagers—and few scientists are able to communicate their insights in such a warm, understanding, and empowering manner. At every step, she offers realistic and thought-provoking suggestions for changes you can make to help enhance your teen's self-esteem and well-being.”

—Susan J. Paxton, PhD, School of Psychological Science, La Trobe University, Australia


“Dr. Neumark-Sztainer is a widely published researcher, a successful prevention specialist, and a gifted teacher. She is also a mother who has learned on the job how to strike a balance between active parenting, bite-your-tongue silence, and constant support for her children. This is an incredibly wise and helpful book for anyone struggling to give kids healthy messages about food, weight, shape, and exercise.”

—Michael P. Levine, PhD, Department of Psychology, Kenyon College; coeditor of Preventing Eating Disorders


“Dr. Neumark-Sztainer has integrated an impressive wealth of academic and practical knowledge into this comprehensive guide for parents. This is an exceptional and highly readable resource for dealing with the whole spectrum of eating and body shape preoccupation in teenagers. Suggestions for parents are sensible, doable, and grounded in current realities of family life. In an era of much confusion about body shape and weight, this book can serve as a powerful guide to raising children with a positive connection to healthy eating and their bodies.”

—Niva Piran, PhD, Counseling Psychology Program, University of Toronto, Canada


“For parents seeking to raise children who feel good about themselves and their bodies, this book is chock-full of helpful, practical information and insights. It will also be a valuable resource for health professionals and educators. Based on the research and wisdom of one of the country's leading adolescent nutrition experts, this book can help make a difference in the lives of teens and families.”

—Mary Story, PhD, Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN


“This remarkable 'how-to' guide can be characterized in one word: balance. Dr. Neumark-Sztainer balances practical advice for parents with scientific evidence to support it—and shows how to help teens take a more balanced approach to food and fitness. Delightfully clear, uplifting, and empowering.”

—Richard E. Kreipe, MD, Chief of Adolescent Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of Rochester Medical Center


“It is too late to help my daughter, Anna, who died of an eating disorder at 21. I wish this book had been available when she was younger, because I might have been better equipped to help prevent her illness. I suggest all parents of teens read this book—the result would be far fewer teens suffering from weight-related problems.”

—Kitty Westin, President, The Anna Westin Foundation


“A tour de force. Neumark-Sztainer breaks down the latest academic research findings on teenage dieting, fitness, nutrition, and eating disorders in a way that parents can feel empowered to talk with their teens about weight and body image issues without alienating them. Her hands-on advice to parents of teens is extremely uplifting without being dogmatic. This book is a keeper; one of those core books on parenting that is destined to become a classic.”

—Sharlene Hesse-Biber, PhD, Department of Sociology, Boston College; author of Am I Thin Enough Yet?