Diet Plans For Overweight Children

According to the Kidshealth article "Overweight and Obesity," nearly one-third of children in the U.S. are overweight or obese, and rates have been increasing for decades. Overweight children are likely to experience emotional trauma and develop into obese adults with a high risk of cardiovascular disease or diabetes. If your child is overweight, you might be wondering how to develop a diet plan that helps him achieve a healthy weight while growing and developing normally. If you have concerns about your child's weight or health, consult a doctor for the best advice.

Approach

A diet for overweight children should not emphasize rapid weight loss. Instead, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that "the goal for overweight and obese children and teens is to reduce the rate of weight gain while allowing normal growth and development." A diet plan for overweight children should include all of the essential nutrients that growing children need while keeping calories at an appropriate level to support growth, physical activity and daily living.

Portion Control

One of the most important functions of a diet plan for overweight children is to encourage them to learn how to tell whether they are hungry and what size portion to take. This helps control the number of calories they take in. As the parent, choose what foods are available at each meal and snack, and offer healthy foods such as whole grains, reduced fat dairy products and fresh fruits and vegetables. Let your child decide how much to eat. The article from Kidshealth called "Overweight and Obesity" recommends that you do not force children to clean their plates or eat more than they want to.

Healthy Foods

Diet plans for overweight children include plenty of healthy foods to supply essential nutrients while controlling calories. Reduced-fat dairy products provide calcium and protein, and poultry and fish have high-quality protein and are low in calories. Make a variety of fruits and vegetables available for your children to snack on, as these are low in calories but high in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Whole grains and beans, peas and lentils are also good choices for a healthy diet.

Foods to Limit

A diet plan for children limits empty calories from sugars and saturated fats. You can help by keeping foods such as sweets, sugary soft drinks, fatty meats and fried foods out of your house, and offering healthy options instead. Although diet plans for overweight children should reduce junk foods, do not try to eliminate them from your child's diet. There should be room in the diet plan for the occasional treat, likely at a celebration at school when all of the other children are indulging. You do not want your child to feel isolated.

Meal Patterns

Help your overweight children develop healthy eating habits by following a few general guidelines for meals and snacks. In an article called "Healthy Eating," Kidshealth recommends that you establish regular meal and snack times so that your children know when it is time to eat, and can learn to gauge hunger. A healthy breakfast can include a whole grain cereal, fruit and some milk or yogurt. Involve your children in packing a lunch for school so they can learn to plan for an appropriately sized, balanced meal. Also, have them help you make dinner so you can show them healthy foods to eat that are low in calories.