Are You Worried About Your Child’s Weight?
There has been a lot of information in the news about childhood obesity. It has made many people worry about whether their child is overweight and if they should go on a diet. If you think your child is overweight, it is important to talk to your pediatrician, who is the best judge of whether your child has a weight problem. The physician will measure the height and weight of the child and determine if the child is within a healthy range. Assessing children is difficult because growth patterns are unpredictable.
Regular physical activity, combined with healthy eating habits, is the biggest part of having a healthy lifestyle and controlling weight. Don’t make activities a chore. Instead make the most of the opportunities you have to be active. Plan family activities that provide everyone with physical activity and enjoyment, like walking, dancing, biking, swimming, or playing tag. Schedule a walk after dinner instead of watching TV.
More importantly, the entire family needs to develop good attitudes about a balanced
lifestyle that includes a variety of foods and physical activity. Children should never be placed on a restrictive diet to lose weight, unless a doctor advises it for medical reasons. Limiting what a child eats may be harmful to their health and interfere with growth and development. Having a variety of healthy snacks such as carrot sticks, grapes, crackers and other foods packed with vitamins and minerals will help the child choose snacks that are more nutritious.
Teaching healthy eating practices early will help children approach eating with the right attitude. Food is necessary for health and should be enjoyed. Making small changes in the amount of fat, sugar and salt your child eats will go a long way in providing a healthy eating pattern. Read labels to know the amount of calories, fat, sugar and sodium that is in food.
- Don’t overly restrict sweets or treats. While it is important to be aware of the fat, salt and sugar in foods, there is certainly room for them in the diet, in moderation.
- Instead of dictating what the children will eat for snacks, make a wide variety of healthy choices available. This will help your child make wise food choices.
- Encourage your child to eat slowly. A child can detect hunger and fullness better when they are eating slowly.
- Eat together as a family as often as possible. Make the mealtimes a pleasant time to talk about the day, not a time for scolding or arguing. If mealtimes are unpleasant, they may want to eat quickly so they can leave the table faster.
- Involve children in shopping and preparing meals. These activities offer parents hints about children’s food preferences, teach children about nutrition, and provide a sense of accomplishment. In addition, they may be more willing to try foods they help prepare.
- Try not to use food to punish or reward your child. Withholding food may lead children to think they will not get enough to eat. Similarly, when foods such as sweets are used as a reward, children may assume these foods are more valuable than other foods.
- Make sure the meals outside the home are balanced. Help children make healthy selections when you are at a restaurant.
- Set a good example. Children learn best by example. Eating a variety of foods and being physically active will teach your children healthy lifestyle habits they can follow the rest of their lives.
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