Obesity rates among children ages 6 to 11 jumped from 6.5 percent in 1980 to nearly 20 percent in 2008, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. Obese youth are at a greater risk of high cholesterol and high blood pressure, which can be precursors to cardiovascular disease. Overweight girls tend to enter puberty early, which can increase their risk of breast cancer later in life. Diet, exercise and family support can work together to help preteen girls shed excess weight.
Physical Activity
Children who spend a lot of time watching television or sitting in front of the computer are at higher risk of becoming overweight. Regular exercise can help prevent weight gain or promote weight loss in preteen girls. Children require about one hour of exercise every day.
Encourage your child to take part in a variety of aerobic activities such as running or dancing. Moving about on playground equipment will help strengthen muscles while activities like jump roping can improve bone-strength, notes Healthfinder.gov, a website published by the National Health Information Center.
Sensible Diet
Serving healthy meals and snacks that include more fruits and vegetables instead of high-calorie, high-fat snack foods will support and encourage weight loss in preteen girls.
Girls ages 9 to 13 require 1,600 to 2,200 calories per day, depending on growth and level of physical activity, the Mayo Clinic explains. A nutritionally balanced diet includes proteins from fish, skinless chicken and lean beef; healthy carbohydrates such as whole grains; fiber-rich foods like raspberries and oatmeal and calcium from low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese.
Family Patterns
Kids whose parents are obese are more apt to be overweight or obese themselves, cautions Medline Plus, a website published by the National Institutes of Health. Genetics and family habits can factor into preteen girls mimicking the examples of their parents. Parents who eat nutritious meals and exercise regularly set a good example for children to follow.
Considerations
When combined with diet and exercise, behavioral therapy may also help preteen girls with weight reduction, explains the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Counseling may help children better understand what triggers their decision to overeat, when it occurs and how to conquer overeating habits.
Since preteen girls grow and develop at varying rates, it can be difficult to know whether weight loss is in order. Ask your child's health care provider to determine whether your preteen's weight is healthy.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Healthy Youth
- HealthFinder.gov: Help Your Child Stay at a Healthy Weight
- Mayo Clinic; Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D; Are High-Protein Diets Safe For Weight Loss?
- Mayo Clinic: Nutrition Guide for Kids
- Medline Plus: Obesity in Children
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Weight Control and Diet: Complications
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