According to Dr. David Ludwig at the Harvard Medical School, children who are overweight are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes and are more susceptible to kidney failure and even amputations. Unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity have led to overweight problems occurring early in childhood. Helping your child lose weight requires that your family to change its lifestyle A 4-year-old child should not focus on weight loss, but instead should develop good eating habits and consistent physical activity.
Child Weight Loss
Step 1
Calculate your child’s body mass index. Body mass index, more commonly referred to as BMI, is the relationship between height and weight. Kids Health offers a free online calculator that takes a minute to fill out and determine whether your child is outside the healthy range for body weight.
Step 2
Don’t tell your child that you believe she is overweight. This will cause them to be self-conscious and lose self-esteem at an early age. Instead, explain to her that the whole family is going to be taking steps towards healthy and fun living.
Step 3
Promote and support healthy eating habits to your child. Provide fruits and vegetables at every meal and as snacks. Fruits and vegetables are not only low in calories, but they provide much-needed nutrients to your developing child.
Step 4
Don’t allow your child to consume sugar-sweetened beverages, such as sodas, energy drinks and fruit juice. Most of what your child should drink is water, as it provides the fluid necessary for healthy function and is calorie free.
Step 5
Be physically active with your child for an hour on a daily basis. Go outdoors and play with your child as much as possible. Not only will it facilitate healthy body fat loss, but consistent cardiovascular exercise also will improve his mood and brain function. Take him to the park or even outside in your yard. Invite his friends over and have outdoor games prepared. Instead of making exercise into a chore, present it as a fun activity and as an opportunity to play games.
Step 6
Don’t make dessert a reward for your child. It puts emphasis on the food, resulting in her wanting it more. Making the dessert as a reward puts more emphasis on sweets over healthy foods.
Step 7
Limit the amount of time your child watches television or plays video games to 30 minutes per day.
Tips and Warnings
- Genetics do play a part in your child’s weight and body type, but focus should be placed on things that can be controlled. Healthy eating and consistent physical activity will facilitate a healthy body weight for your child.
- Understand that your child’s weight loss may take time. Concentrate on the day to day efforts of promoting a healthy lifestyle. Consistent physical activity and good eating habits will result in healthy weight loss for your child. No diet pills are safe for children.
Things You'll Need
- Healthy foods
Member Comments