Encouraging family to get healthy

Both of my parents are overweight and I'd like to get them to be healthier without insulting them. Both of them have tried dieting a couple times and have experienced success, but they fall off the wagon and forget about the diet in order to eat the things they want. It's becoming more and more worrying for me that they're overweight because as they get older, the less active they will become. They are hardly active now as it is.

They've noticed that I've adapted a healthier lifestyle, and I thought that might motivate them to do the same...but not so much. I've even made comments to them a few times when they've made their food/drink choices. My parents both drink soda and I've mentioned several times that soda is really bad for the body, but they don't care.

Has anyone had experience with this in their own families?

Yeah. But I eat my stuff and my mom\sister\dad eat their stuff. I tried to get them eating healthier but they don't care, so I gave up.

When we have croissants, my sister eats them 3x a day. (1 with her bowl of Lucky Charms, 1 for PM snack, 1 for evening snack). She doesn't eat any fruits and is always on the computer. I know she's young and her metabolisim can keep up, but I still think a goo, balanced diet is important.

My mom drinks regular Coke because it's ''better'' than diet Coke. Her only activity is doing Sudokus. 

My dad can not eat for an entire day and eat 1 big meal. But he knows what's healthy and what's not.

As long as they don't force me to eat their junk, I'm fine with it. 

If there's one unshakeable fact in life it's that you can't make someone change unless they want to.   You could maybe talk to your mother and tell her that you're worried about her health.... you never know, it could permeate at some level.  But it's guaranteed that every time your parents visit their doctor they'll have been told they need to lose weight and get more exercise.   They'd have to live underwater with ear-plugs in not to get the message about 'five-a-day' fruit and veg.    Then again, every cigarette packet comes emblazoned with dire warnings about death and disease... but people keep smoking, regardless

All you can do is keep setting a good example.  If you cook supper, make something tasty and healthy that you think everyone would enjoy.  If you go for a walk, see if they'd like to come with you.  But you can't change people if they don't see the need to change.

Ah, yes.  Good luck with this one - my family is similar.  Between my parents there is: high blood pressure, angina, degenerative osteo-arthritis, asthma, and mitral valve prolapse; both have to take medication. 

Both of my parents are overweight to the point where it's worsened the symptoms of their health problems.  They frequently talk about how they want to lose weight, wish they could have better cardio or do things they used to do, but fall into the trap of yo-yo dieting where they'll eat well for a few days and fall back into their usual routines.  Like your parents, both drink an excess of soda (in place of water), never touch fruit or vegetables, and eat a diet that consists almost entirely of processed or restaurant foods.  There is no exercise involved.

They observe my diet and exercise routine and their commentary is generally

a) how they would like to do the same

b) how they think i'm not 'living life' because i'm too focused on 'health stuff'

It varies, depending how they're feeling that day, but what i've discovered is that they'll always be willing to dole out advice on what they believe would be good for me, but will not listen to any.  The misfortune is, even if you're doing it out of concern for their well-being and just want to see them healthy, people don't want to listen.  Ultimately, your parents will have to make the choice to help themselves out, because no amount of urging on your part will change them; sad, but true.  The best you can do is encourage healthy practises.

Selling dieting is a lot like selling religion, IMO. It doesn't matter how right or sure you are, if you come of as critical to someone else, they're not going to bite (not saying you have been, but just for the sake of arguement).

Many times the health talk doesn't come off well (tread carefully with this one), nor do comments about their food/drink choices while they're making them, even when you have the best of intentions.

Talk up what you're doing, talk about how well its working for you, about this website, about how good you feel, talk about you. If they show interest or anything, maybe make an offer to help set up menus, figure out calories, etc. Make it very clear you want to help them do it and encourage them if they bite.

As a child of two obese parents with high blood pressure, cholesterol, liver and kidney issues, and early onset diabetes, I know where you`re coming from. Unfortunately, as gi-jane said, it`s very likely they already know they need to eat healthy and be more active, so if they are in denial, there`s not much you can do besides setting an example, like you already are.

Once they choose to disregard advice from a doctor, who is supposed to be an educated professional on these matters, I think it`s improbable that they will take tips from you seriously.

Sorry about the situation, I hope I am wrong and things will change for the better. :)

Thanks for all the replies! As some of you have mentioned, your own parents ignore advice from their doctors...well, my parents don't go to the doctor. I've never asked them why, but I assume it's because they don't want to hear that they're at risk for a whole bunch of problems. I'm pretty sure they both already have a lot of problems that they're not dealing with just because they haven't been to a doctor in decades.

I understand that most people just don't want to hear their own problems...but I figured maybe they'd have an easier time hearing it from someone who they love rather than a doctor. I guess I'll just keep trying to set good examples with everything I'm doing and see if they show any interest.

Yup.. My mom is overweight, though not obese or anything. She always complains how she can't find nice clothes or that my father jokes about her weight. And yet I see her all day long eating junk -_- I told her about my diet, how it's not restrictive and easy to follow. I also mentioned how easier it's for her since she's the one that controlls the shopping area, and that my father would be supportive since he has high blood pressure n actually follows a diet himself. She seemed to get all excited but that evening I saw her buying loads of icecream! She claims to have no willpower... I have no willpower whatsoever n I managed!! 

The problem is also that she is a minor shopahollic, so she just buys stuff. We really suffered from the financial crisis n have to cut back on everything, but she can't even do that. We are aware of her capability of buying too much so we try to control her a bit, but in my family we are very "live n let live" about personal problems so I don't see any help in pressuring her to work over self. Meh.

Practically ranting, I guess, since I don't see anything I can do about it.

Ask them to come with you on a walk or bike ride.  See if you can plan a family trip to the zoo for a day of walking.  Ask the fam to play volleyball with you in the backyard.  Ask if they'd like to walk down to the park and play some basketball together.  Offer to cook a healthy dinner as often as they'll let you.