More than 18 percent of children between the ages of 12 and 19 are considered obese, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Obese children are putting themselves at risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoarthritis, strokes and poor self-esteem. Weight loss is important for children to maintain a healthy, happy lifestyle. One means of motivating children to lose weight is to make weight loss fun by tracking progress.
Physical Activity Chart
Have your child create a physical activity chart. Include on this the days of the week, different activities your child is going to participate in and a slot for the child to check off or fill in the amount of time they have spent completing the activity. To make the chart more exciting include an element that your child enjoys. If they like sports, use sports graphics around the chart. If they enjoy sparkles and glitter, outline the chart in sparkles and glitter. You can even have your child make the chart with you in order to get them excited for the task at hand. The American Heart Association recommends children over age 2 get 60 minutes of physical activity daily. Activities can include running, walking, sports, dancing, aerobics, jumping rope, swimming or jumping on a trampoline. A physical activity chart will allow your child to see how much exercise they are getting each day.
Food Diaries
Have your child keep a food diary. Take a small notebook or planner and encourage your child to write down all the different items they eat and drink each day. You and your child can then sit down and count the amount of calories in each item. This will give your child an idea of what types of foods they should be eating and the types of food they should eliminate from their diet. Your child will be able to see progress as they see more healthy foods in their food diary opposed to unhealthy foods. To make a food diary more exciting, you can have the child use stickers or cut-outs from magazines of the types of foods they eat. You can also allow the child to pick out the notebook they will be creating their food diary in. The notebook may have their favorite sports team or cartoon character on it.
Reward System
Create a reward system for your child. A reward system will encourage your child to stay on track with their weight loss program. Use a decorated sheet of paper or a poster board. Place the child's name on it and a list of rewards they can choose from. Rewards may include staying up late, new toy, trip to the zoo, new outfit or maybe an ice cream cone. When your child exercises or chooses a healthy snack, they get to place a star on the chart under the reward they most want. Once they have reached a pre-determined amount of stars, your child gets the reward.
Picture Taking
Taking pictures is a good way for your child to see their actual progress. Take a before picture of your child and then take pictures each week afterward. Place these photos in an album or somewhere visible in your house, such as the refrigerator. As the weeks of your child's weight loss program progresses, your child will be able to see the physical changes they're going through. Ask your child to take a look at the pictures and have them discuss the changes with you.
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