Childhood obesity is prevalent in the United States, often leading to early onset diabetes and other serious health problems. On the other hand, eating disorders are a serious threat to the health of adolescents, particularly teenagers. Promoting weight loss in any form, much less rapid weight loss, can be dangerous to children if not done in the right way. However, weight loss can still occur at a safe and rapid rate.
Step 1
Start you kids get exercise most days of the week. Many children get their exercise by playing outside with friends and by participating in team sports and activities. If your child is not involved in these activities, or if their current activity level is low, encourage your child to get more involved and take up a sport that interests them. Try to promote these activities for their entertainment and social benefits, rather than their role in weight loss, as too much emphasis on weight loss to your children could give them unhealthy views of their weight. Exercise can lead to weight loss by burning several hundred calories a day.
Step 2
Feed breakfast to your child every day. Eating might seem counterintuitive to losing weight, but breakfast can jump-start the body's metabolism. By eating breakfast, your children can improve their body's metabolic rate and become more efficient at processing food. This will make it easier to process foods without converting various nutrients to fat.
Step 3
Fill your child's diet with fruits and vegetables. A balanced diet is important, but fruits and vegetables are high in water content, low in calories and have a range of vitamins and minerals. This can help your child lose weight by flushing his body with water and important nutrients. These foods can also be filling and slow down your child's intake of calories, reducing the total calories consumed in a day.
Step 4
Visit your child's doctor or nutritionist to discuss possible ways you can instill healthy eating and lifestyle habits and promote weight loss. Professional help is often needed to help parents guide their children toward the right lifestyle choices without threatening the mental health of their children.
Tips and Warnings
- Be patient with weight loss. The quickest that children -- as well as adults -- should lose weight is at a rate of 1 or 2 lb. each week. Anything more can be a sign of unhealthy weight loss habits, including eating disorders. Additionally, be aware that weight can be dropped at a faster rate in the first few weeks before slowing down in later weeks. If your child engages in binge eating, this could be done as an emotional response to grief, trauma or other emotional issues. Consider taking your child to a therapist and having their binge eating addressed -- this can quickly lead to improved eating habits, curbing weight gain and even leading to weight loss.
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