Kids gain weight when they eat extra calories and don't get enough exercise. The key to losing weight for kids is the same as it is for adults. However, this doesn't mean you should resort to implementing adult-like weight loss efforts for your child if he is overweight. Gym memberships and strict diets are potentially damaging to kids' growing bodies, but some subtler healthy changes are helpful.
Significance
Overweight kids are at increased risk of developing health problems that can follow them through the rest of their lives. Losing weight will reduce their chances of developing high blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, and help prevent diseases such as diabetes and heart disease later in life. Since kids grow at different rates, you may not be able to tell whether your child is overweight, so have her examined at your pediatrician's office.
Treatment Plan
Doctors don't usually recommend weight loss for young children who are overweight, but they often set up treatment plans that help young children grow into their weight. This means your pediatrician may suggest keeping your child at his current weight while he gets taller, according to the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. However, your pediatrician may suggest gradual weight loss of about 1 lb. per week if you have an overweight or obese adolescent.
Healthy Eating
Whether you're trying to maintain your child's current weight or are actively trying to help her lose weight, cutting superfluous calories from her diet will help you reach your goal. You may start reducing your child's intake of dietary fat and emphasize fruits, vegetables and grains as soon as she's over two years old. A few major sources of unnecessary calories are high-calorie desserts, chips, sodas and sugary juices. Allow her to consume some saturated fat from foods like red meat and low-fat dairy products, but offer her more unsaturated fats from sources like nuts, nut butters, fish, seeds, olive oil and vegetable oils. Seek advice from a registered dietitian to meet your child's individual needs.
Exercise
Although you should always feed your child a healthy diet, you wouldn't need to cut as many calories from his diet if you dedicated more effort to promoting physical activity. Kids need at least 60 minutes of exercise every day, but it can be broken up into multiple play sessions, according to the Weight-control Information Network, a website from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Help your child naturally boost his level of physical activity by setting a limit on how much time he is allowed to spend in front of the computer and television. Also encourage activity by signing him up for a dance class or sport of choice and investing in active toys like jump ropes and dance- or exercise-based video games. Promote active living by playing with him and setting up active family trips like hikes, walks around the zoo and skiing vacations.
References
- Weight-control Information Network: Helping Your Overweight Child; Dec. 2007
- MedlinePlus: Weight Control
- The Nemours Foundation: How Can I Lose Weight Safely?
- MayoClinic.com: Childhood Obesity: Make Weight Loss a Family Affair; June 2010
- Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford: Weight Management
Member Comments