If your child is a few pounds overweight, there's no cause for alarm. Up until about age six or seven, children can still be sporting their baby fat. However, beyond this age extra fat is no longer baby fat, according to Brandis Roman, a pediatric nutritionist at the University of Virginia Children's Hospital. Being overweight or obese puts your child at risk for conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes. Adopt a few fat-fighting strategies to help your child shed pounds.
Step 1
Minimize the amount of time your child aged 2 or older spends watching television to one or two hours daily.
Step 2
Stock your kitchen with fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein so you can provide healthy meals and snacks for your child to eat at home and school.
Step 3
Limit the amount of sugary beverages your child drinks each week. Provide freshly squeezed juices without added sugar, low-fat milk and water instead.
Step 4
Ensure that your child eats breakfast every morning, which reduces hunger later on in the day.
Step 5
Make healthy eating a family affair so that your overweight child isn't the only one eating a healthy meal while other family members are filling up on fat, refined carbohydrates and sugary beverages.
Step 6
Spend more leisure time as a family--for instance, a few evenings each week or on weekends--doing activity-oriented outings such as hiking, rollerblading or ice skating, cycling along nature paths or swimming at the pool or beach.
Tips and Warnings
- Also, limit trips to fast-food chains, no matter how much your child pleads. Puree vegetables and add them into sauces and soups to encourage your child to eat more vegetables. Keep a few healthy snacks on hand so your child doesn't overindulge when he's away from home.
- Do not put your child on a diet without advice from your family doctor or pediatrician. Do not use food as a reward or punishment as it fosters an unhealthy relationship with food. Be supportive and let your child know that at she is special and important, advises the Weight-control Information Network. Children who are overweight or obese often suffer from low self-esteem and are targets for bullying. Letting your child know she's loved and accepted at any age can help her to feel good about herself. Be ready to listen to her concerns about her weight and offer understanding and encouragement, not criticism or judgment.
References
- University of Virginia Health System: Are Today's Babies More Overweight?
- PubMed.gov: Watching Television Is Associated with Childhood Obesity: But Is It Clinically Important?
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Children, Adolescents, and Television
- Weight-control Information Network: Helping Your Overweight Child
