While there may be a number of overweight kids in your child's class and neighborhood, your child may undergo enough teasing to make him want to lose weight. Additionally, obesity can cause serious medical issues in children, including diabetes, hypertension and metabolic syndrome, report doctors at the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). By taking a few simple steps, you can help overweight kids lose weight.
Step 1
Be a positive role model. Your child is most likely overweight because of the kinds of meals you fix for your family and the fatty snacks you purchase for them. If you are overweight, join your child on a diet and provide practical support.
Step 2
Sit down for meals with your child. Doctors at the AAFP report that parents who eat on the run and feed fast food to their children are responsible for their child's obesity. Insist on regular meal times at which you serve balanced healthy meals with vegetables, lean protein and whole grains that will fill up your child to prevent him from snacking.
Step 3
Reduce the amount of juice and sugary drinks that you purchase, and discourage your kid from drinking sweetened sodas and other sugary drinks. In addition to adding unwanted sugar and calories, drinks high in sugar fill up a child so he will be less likely to eat healthy meals at the appropriate times.
Step 4
Limit your child's time on the computer and in other sedentary activities to one to two hours per day. Enroll your child in a sport or class that involves physical activity. Invest in an electronic game station, like a Nintendo Wii, that is interactive and promotes exercise. Send kids outside to play. The AAFP recommends that children get at least one hour of vigorous play every day.
Step 5
Reduce the number of times your family eats out each week. Relying on fast food, which is cheap and loved by most kids, sets a bad example and ensures that your child will eat too many calories that are high in fat and sodium. In fact, meals in most restaurants are difficult to regulate, serving too many calories and fat grams with every meal that contribute to childhood obesity.
Tips and Warnings
- Set a goal of stopping weight gain and maintaining your child's weight if your child is under 7 years old. He then can grow in inches rather than pounds, recommend doctors at the Mayo Clinic.
- Don't use food as a reward or punishment for your child's behavior. That kind of reinforcement encourages thinking that food is more than sustenance.
Things You'll Need
- Healthy meals
- Nintendo Wii
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