Weight Loss Confidential: How Teens Lose Weight and Keep It Off -- and What They Wish Parents Knew [Paperback]

Anne M. Fletcher M.S. R.D. (Author), Holly Wyatt (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 2008

As any parent knows, teens listen to teens -- more than to anyone else. Hailed by leading doctors, nutritionists, and journalists, Weight Loss Confidential is the only book to go to the real experts on teen weight loss: adolescents who have succeeded. Using the approach that made her book Thin for Life an award-winning bestseller, Anne M. Fletcher interviews more than one hundred teens who have lost weight—some as much as one hundred pounds -- to discover what works. Bolstered with the latest scientific research, Weight Loss Confidential challenges conventional assumptions and empowers teens and parents in the struggle against our number-one health problem today.

Inside Weight Loss Confidential:

9 myths about weight loss

Top 10 reasons for teen weight gain

Teens’ advice to parents on how to help

10 teen strategies for changing eating habits

6 tactics parents often resort to that make things worse -- and what to do instead

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

With teen obesity a big issue in the U.S., the author of Thin for Life turns her expertise toward helping overweight teens and their parents adopt proven strategies for weight loss—together. As a dietician whose son, Wes, was an overweight teen, Fletcher learned firsthand that "pushing" a kid to lose weight does not work; the teen must want to lose weight for himself, and then decide what will work for him. Fletcher interviewed 104 teens from various walks of life who had successfully lost weight and, most importantly, kept the weight off. She found several commonalities: increase in physical activity, better food choices and portion control, coupled with the unconditional support of the parents. Though none of this is surprising, Fletcher presents it in a "from-one-teen-to-another" fashion, using real-life case histories and interviews. This book is more about fostering a positive attitude toward weight loss than a step-by-step diet guide. By examining how teens have successfully taken control of their own weight, other young people may become inspired to do the same. (Jan.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist

Determined to teach teens the difference between "right" weight and "ideal" weight, a dietitian as well as the author of several books on weight control draws inspiration from the experiences of her son, Wes. Though she offers little that's new in terms of dieting tips here, the book's positive approach and the stories and comments from young people will encourage and inform both teens and their parents. At the same time, several important things come clear: losing weight and keeping it off is hard work, and no one plan, diet, or exercise regimen is right for all. Convincing teens of those truisms is half the battle, and Fletcher's combination of teen talk and nutritional advice can help serious dieters get started. Her introduction notes the importance of consultation with a physician before undertaking a weight-loss regimen, and the appendix lists further references and describes commercial weight-loss programs that are open to teens. Stephanie Zvirin
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Reprint edition (January 2, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0618943447
• ISBN-13: 978-0618943449
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #404,063 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Anne M. Fletcher, M.S., R.D. is a nationally known, award-winning health and medical writer, speaker, and consultant on the topics of weight management, lifestyle change, and recovery from addiction. She is the author of seven books, including the award-winning national bestsellers Thin For Life: 10 Keys to Success From People Who Have Lost Weight & Kept It Off and Sober for Good: New Solutions for Drinking Problems - Advice From Those Who Have Succeeded. Anne is currently writing a book on addiction treatment for Viking Penguin.

Anne's latest book, Weight Loss Confidential: How Teens Lose Weight & Keep It Off - And What They Wish Parents Knew, was featured on the Today Show, on the CBS Early Show, and in The New York Times, USA Today, US News & World Report, and USA Weekend. She has been recognized with a dozen prestigious awards, and all of her current books are published by Houghton Mifflin Company.

A frequent guest of the national media, Anne has also appeared on The View, the Today Show, Donahue, Good Morning America, CNN, National Public Radio's Talk of the Nation, and The Larry King Radio Show.

As a registered dietitian with a B.S. degree from Cornell University and an M.S. from Drexel University, Anne has counseled hundreds of people with weight problems. She is a former executive editor and chief writer of the Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter and was a contributing editor for Prevention Magazine. Her articles have appeared in Good Housekeeping, Vogue, Shape, American Psychologist, Cooking Light, Bottom Line Personal, Readers' Digest, Restaurant Hospitality, Parenting, Journal of Food Science, Eating Well, The Humanist, American Psychologist, Journal of the American Dietetic Association, and Obesity Management.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic, must read :-), January 10, 2007

By 

Little Miss Cutey (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Weight Loss Confidential: How Teens Lose Weight and Keep It Off - and What They Wish Parents Knew (Hardcover)

What a great book. I think it's great for anyone, but especially for parents and teens and parents of teens.
Ann Fletcher has already written a series of books before on adults who had lost weight and kept it off, and thinking how motivating it is to read about other peoples success, she wrote this in hopes of helping teens and their families to help fight the obesity crisis and help teens who struggle daily with their weight. She is a registered dietitian and she is very smart and has written this really well. Her own son has had his share of weight problems and that was some of the driving force for her to begin this book.
She interviews over 100 teens who have lost weight in healthy ways, who have shown that sensible stratagies work and so hopefully this will stop others losing weight in a dangerous fashion. She interviews some of the parents too so it's good to get perspective from all sides. The top stratagy that helped these teens was exercise; this helped them to be able to still join their friends when they go out and feel that they could still eat what their friends did, but not feel so guilty. The other top stratagies she heard about while interviewing them was cutting back on their sodas and some unhealthful snacks.
Overall, this book is full of inspiring kids who have begun to turn their life and health around. While they may not have come up with any new secrets in the battle of weight loss, they will hopefully show other kids that it can be done and that it can be done in a healthy manner and I really think this book should be read by everyone. It's fantastic and I highly recommend it.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Pioneering Book - An Exceptional Read, January 8, 2007

By 

WriterGirl (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Weight Loss Confidential: How Teens Lose Weight and Keep It Off - and What They Wish Parents Knew (Hardcover)

Anne Fletcher is a terrific thinker, motivator, and writer when it comes to weight. I saw her on CBS's "The Early Show" and knew I had to read her newest book.

To write WEIGHT LOSS CONFIDENTIAL, Anne conducted in-depth surveys and interviews with more than 100+ formerly overweight young people (and many of their parents) from diverse backgrounds, across the United States. Her results explain how the teens lost the weight, their secrets for keeping it off, and their strategies for staying motivated. She also offers advice for parents on how to play a positive role in their kids' success.

This is the ONLY book to go to the real experts on how teens lose weight successfully: teens who have actually done it. She even reveals the story of her own son's weight loss in a poignant and touching way. A must-read for all parents!

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book is motivating my TEEN!!!, February 19, 2007

By 

GRITN "B" (North Carolina, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Weight Loss Confidential: How Teens Lose Weight and Keep It Off - and What They Wish Parents Knew (Hardcover)

What an excellent concept, find teens who were successful at losing weight and determine how they did it. This book has been helpful for my husband and me, and MOTIVATING for my daughter. What I like the most is you see a chart of what things the kids did to lose weight. The ones that top the list are the healthy ones (exercised more, ate less fat, ate less in general) and the ones at the bottom are unhealty (took pills, etc). PROVING ONCE AGAIN that the RIGHT/SUCCESSFUL way to lose weight is to diet and exercise. This has totally motivated her to move more, the KEY FACTOR for these successful teens.

BRAVO!!