The number of obese children in the United States has tripled since 1980, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. And with those increased numbers comes increased awareness of the potentially devastating health consequences. While you could opt to work with a personal trainer or nutritionist to help your child lose weight, you can also make some simple changes to your lifestyle that could pay dividends without costing you a thing.
Dietary Changes
To help your child lose weight, you'll have to help him change the way he eats. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that people eat nutrient-dense foods and avoid unhealthy and processed voids that are largely devoid of nutritional value. Items your child should have in his diet with include fruits and vegetables; low-fat dairy products; whole grains; lean cuts of meat, poultry and fish; eggs; beans; and nuts, the Weight-Control Information Network advises. Foods to eliminate or restrict in your child's diet include those containing added sugars and sweeteners; those with a lot of salt; and items that contain trans fat, saturated fat and cholesterol.
Eating Habits
Your child's eating habits also may contribute to her weight problem. Older children and teenagers often socialize with food, whether it be grabbing a meal at a fast-food restaurant or splitting a bag of chips while playing video games or watching TV. These food choices can contribute to your child being overweight, so you will need to encourage healthier snack habits and teach your child to make better choices. Instead of ordering a value-sized fast-food meal, for example, order simply a sandwich -- grilled, not fried, if possible -- and split an order of fries or skip them altogether, the Weight-Control Information Network suggests. And, keep your kitchen stocked with healthy snacks such as fresh or dried fruit, fresh vegetables, rice cakes, pretzels, whole-grain crackers, popcorn and yogurt.
Encourage Activity
Regular physical activity is an important part of a weight-loss plan. No matter what your child's weight, the federal government's Physical Activity Guidelines suggest that children between the ages of 6 and 18 get an hour of physical activity each day, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. For an overweight child, this physical activity becomes especially important because the calories burned through activity are essential to weight loss. Signing your child up for a sports program can provide some much-needed exercise, but even kids who aren't into sports and team activities can find easy ways to add activity to their days. For example, encourage your child to walk or ride his bike to and from school, if it's possible. Other examples of exercise your child might enjoy include dancing, yoga, skateboarding, hiking, shooting baskets and swimming.
Be a Role Model
It won't cost you a cent to be a good role model for your child by adopting a healthy diet and active lifestyle for yourself. As a parent, your lifestyle serves as a model for your children. So, if you eat large portions of unhealthy food and rarely make time to exercise or be active, you send your children the message that this is OK. If your child is overweight and you want to help, look at your own lifestyle, the Weight-Control Information Network advises. You can encourage more physical activity by being active together as a family. You can also model healthy living by making more responsible choices when dining out and grocery shopping. And, you can empower your child by involving him in choices, such as letting him pick healthy snacks at the grocery store or planning the weekly menus with you.
References
- Weight-Control Information Network: Helping Your Child
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Physical Activity for Everyone: Making Physical Activity a Part of My Child's Life
- Weight-Control Information Network: Take Charge of Your Health: A Guide for Teens
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Childhood Obesity
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