The preteen years can be a minefield when it comes to weight gain and health, notes the Baylor College of Medicine. Putting on weight is likely your preteen's way of preparing for a major growth spurt and puberty. If your previously slim child has gained weight as a preteen, her self-confidence can take a hit. Help her lose the excess weight with a gentle approach that teaches healthy lifestyle choices over fad diets that are ineffective in the long term. Working with your preteen, you can help her feel better about herself and stay at a healthy weight.
Involve the Family
Introducing the idea of diet and exercise to your preteen without involving the rest of the family can make him feel ashamed and isolated. Make sure that you use the opportunity to achieve greater health for your whole family. Cook healthy meals together, go on hikes and play in the backyard so that your preteen feels that he has a support network. He'll be more successful if he has good examples of healthy living.
Offer Better Snacks
Super-processed, sugary and calorie-laden snacks are usually the go-to for preteens. If snack cakes, chips and other empty-calorie offerings are in your cupboard, your preteen will be tempted by them. Clean out the cupboards and replace with healthy snacks that include whole grains, fruits and vegetables, recommends the Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Cut up snacks and place them in plastic containers in the fridge for easy access.
Turn Off the TV
The Kaiser Family Foundation points toward the correlation between television watching and the rising child obesity rate. Not only does television encourage your preteen to be sedentary, it inundates her with commercials for processed foods and her favorite television characters enjoying calorie-rich foods. Turn off the television in favor of outdoor activity, institute a schedule that allows your preteen to only watch an hour a day, or get rid of cable altogether.
Offer Breakfast
A busy preteen may stay up late at night doing homework, and then sleep in, not leaving himself much time for breakfast. But skipping meals can make your teen gain weight, warns the Mayo Clinic. When your preteen skips a meal, he unwittingly tells his metabolism to burn calories more slowly to conserve energy. Eating all meals makes the metabolism burn faster. Offer cereal bars, trail mix or fruit, even if your preteen is in a hurry.
Give Water
Instead of giving your preteen spare change for the school vending machines, have her switch to water. School vending machines are usually filled with sodas and sugary juices, which can give your preteen a quick burst of energy and a sluggish feeling later on, notes the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. They also have empty calories that can sabotage your preteen's weight loss. Invest in an aluminum water bottle that she can refill during the day instead of reaching for juice or soda.
Member Comments