50 Tips for Helping Your Overweight Child Stay Healthy

50 Tips for Helping Your Overweight Child Stay Healthy

Recent surveys have found that the number of overweight and obese children in the United States is growing at an alarming rate. In fact, nearly one out of five children is now considered overweight. With distractions like video games and television replacing time spent riding bikes and playing outside, paired with the ready availability of fatty, unhealthy foods, it’s no wonder children are packing on the pounds. If you feel that your child is or is becoming overweight, there are a number of things that you can do to ensure that he or she gets the help to grow up to be a healthy, confident adult. Here are 50 tips on helping your overweight child to get you started down the right path to overall health and fitness, for your whole family.

General

You have to start somewhere, and these tips can help you lay down the groundwork for a healthier lifestyle.

1. Let your child know you love them at any weight. Parents of overweight children must realize that their child’s impression of himself will largely be influenced by their parent’s opinion of them. So if you constantly tell your child they are unattractive, soon they will begin to believe it. Instead, ensure that your child knows that no matter their weight, you’ll be ready to stand beside them.
2. Provide support and encouragement. It’s very important to provide a healthy and supportive environment for your child if you want to make a difference in their attitudes about themselves and their health. Your child is probably aware they have a weight problem and needs loads of support and encouragement from you to take the steps in order to get healthy.
3. Talk to your child. Take the time to talk to your child about his or her feelings on their overall health and weight. This will allow them to share their own concerns with you and help them to feel more confident about developing a plan to become more healthy.
4. Eat as a family. Instead of having meals on the run or in front of the TV, try to eat together as a family as much as possible. Conversation and interaction may encourage you all to slow down and enjoy your meals more.
5. Do not use exercise or food as a punishment. Making healthy choices a punishment isn’t going to motivate your child to choose those things. Never use any kind of food, healthy or not, as a reward. This gives some greater value over others and can do the opposite of what you intend to instill in your child.
6. Make sure your child is emotionally secure. Many eating problems stem from underlying emotional issues. Talk to your child to see if they may be experiencing depression or other problems that may be triggering their overeating.
7. Find outside help if you need it. Dieticians can be a great help in getting your child eating foods that are healthy and that they’ll actually like. If you’re having trouble making the switch to a healthier diet on your own, don’t be afraid to ask a professional for a little help to get you started.
8. Don’t get discouraged. Chances are that your child isn’t going to embrace a new vegetable-filled healthy diet right away. If they refuse to eat a certain food, try again. Sometimes it takes several times of the same food being served before children will sample it, so don’t give up right away.
9. Talk to your child’s doctor. Before making any major changes to your child’s diet or routines, talk with his or her doctor first. You will be able to get advice on the healthiest ways to help your child and ensure that there are no underlying conditions that could be aggravated by these changes.
10. Focus on health, not physical appearance. The ultimate goal of helping your child should not be to get them thin — it should be to get them healthy. Ensure that your child knows this is what matters the most.
11. Nurture your child’s self esteem. Weight can be a very sensitive issue for many children, and you need to ensure that your child’s self-esteem isn’t being negatively impacted by your attempts to help him or her to become healthier. Make sure your child feels attractive, loved and accepted no matter what.
12. Admit it when you make mistakes. No parent is perfect, and on the road to a healthier lifestyle, you are bound to make a few mistakes along the way. Tell your child when you mess up so they feel you are being open and honest about things.
13. Avoid power struggles over food issues. Forcing your child to eat a certain way or arguing over food choices isn’t going to be a positive way to help your child lose weight or feel healthier. The ultimate goal of helping your child is to ensure they know how to make their own choices, and sometimes making mistakes in those choices as well.
14. Set goals. While your child’s weight loss goals shouldn’t be tracked in the same way that adults do, you shouldn’t be afraid to set goals for your child. This can be things like being able to ride his or her bike for 5 miles or cooking a healthy meal for the whole family so the focus is not on weight, but on health instead.
15. Don’t make negative comments about your child’s eating habits. While you might be tempted to speak up if you feel your child is eating too much or not taking in the right foods, this can have the opposite effect that you desire. Many children will be less likely to try new foods and truly make changes to their habits if they feel they are being closely supervised with each bite that they take.
16. Focus on personal choice. At the end of the day, your child will have to decide for himself or herself what choices to make about what to eat and how to get active. Focus on letting your child be the one to make choices about getting healthier to have a greater and more lasting impact on their lifestyle.
17. Realize your child may need more or less calories at given times. Because children are still growing and developing, there will be times when they will need large amounts of food in order to fuel their bodies. Be aware of this and do not attempt to deny them food that they may need in order to develop and grow properly.
18. Talk about the consequences of unhealthy living. Make sure that your child knows what the consequences of eating an unhealthy diet and being sedentary really are. To many children the reasons for losing weight may appear to be entirely about physical attractiveness, but you should explain that excess weight puts them at risk for health problems as well, and making changes can be a great benefit to their overall health.

Diet

Help your child learn to make good choices about what to eat by following these tips.

19. Focus on the family. Don’t single out your overweight child to eat special meals while the rest of the family doesn’t. Make the change to healthier eating one that applies to the whole family, not just one child.
20. Help your child learn healthy eating habits. Getting healthy isn’t just about providing your child with healthy foods, it’s also about helping them to learn what choices to make on their own as well. Make sure you explain the reasons for eating whatever it is you are serving.
21. Cut out the junk food. While not all junk food has to go, make an effort to seriously limit the amount of it that is allowed into your home.
22. Don’t eat too many processed foods. Overly processed foods tend to be less healthy than their less processed counterparts. Try eating more whole grain breads, fresh cheeses and natural foods.
23. Don’t overly restrict your child’s diet. Children need to eat a variety of foods to stay healthy, so limiting a child to only eating salads may help them lose weight but won’t help them stay healthy in the long run.
24. Check out the food pyramid. Take a look at the food pyramid with your child and try to figure out ways that you can fit in the recommended servings of each type of food each day to ensure that you and your child are getting the overall nutrition you need.
25. Allow occasional treats. The occasional treat for your child, whether it’s going out for ice cream or getting popcorn at the movie theater, is totally ok, so long as this kind of eating doesn’t become a regular thing.
26. Guide your child’s choices. Provide your child with the information her or she needs in order to make healthy food choices. This kind of guidance will help them make better choices now and in the future.
27. Encourage eating slowly. Encourage your child to eat their meals more slowly. This will help them to realize when they are full and to be more able to avoid overeating. It can also help them learn to enjoy and appreciate food as well.
28. Involve your child in preparation. Getting your child involved in the preparation of healthy foods can be one way to get them more excited about the prospect of eating them.
29. Don’t eat in front of the TV. Many families are guilty of just zoning out and eating right in front of the TV. This means food isn’t what is being concentrated on, and as a consequence overeating tends to be more of a problem. Turn your TV off during meal times to instead focus on eating.
30. Make sure your child has access to healthy foods outside of your home. Healthy eating shouldn’t stop outside the home. Ensure your child has healthy food to take to school or anywhere else they may be headed.
31. Provide breakfast each day. Starting the day with a healthy breakfast can be a great way to lay the foundation for meals throughout the day. Make sure your child doesn’t skip this very important meal.
32. Start with small servings. Help your child to learn to only take a small amount of a food first, finish it, and to see if they are still hungry before taking more. This can help avoid overeating.
33. Encourage your child to only eat when hungry. Many children eat for reasons that aren’t always related to actual hunger. Talk to your child about this and help them to avoid eating out of boredom or because they are upset.
34. Cut out the calorie laden beverages. Sodas and some juices add hundreds of calories to your child’s diet each day while providing little to no nutritional value. Try cutting out these beverages and replacing them with water or low fat milk instead.
35. Don’t forbid foods. Making certain foods forbidden can make them all the more desirable to your child. You may have better luck allowing these foods in moderation so your child doesn’t feel deprived but isn’t loading up on unhealthy foods.
36. Provide healthy snacks. Snacks aren’t always a bad thing if they’re done right. If your child comes home from school starving, provide foods like apples, carrot sticks and yogurt instead of high fat potato chips and cookies.
37. Grow your own foods if you can. Those with room for gardens can try growing their own vegetables and spices. Getting your child involved in the process of growing foods can instill in them a sense of pride, get them active, and make them more willing to eat it when harvest time comes around.
38. Provide options. Ultimately, you want to help your child learn to make healthy choices even when you’re not around. Even when at home, provide your child with options of what to eat and let them make choices about what foods will go into their diets.

Fitness

Getting active is a major part of getting healthy, and these tips can help you motivate your child to get off the couch and get in shape.

39. Get active with your child. Don’t put all the pressure on your child to do active things alone. Join him or her in talking walks, going on bike rides or other activities to make it fun and beneficial at the same time.
40. Be a role model. If your child sees you sitting on the couch, eating poorly and caring little for your health, they aren’t going to be particularly motivated to make changes for themselves. Make it a point to changeyour lifestyle as well to instill positive and healthy values in your child.
41. Plan fun and active family outings. You can help get your child active and spend fun time bonding as a family by choosing family trips and outings that are more active. This can be things like taking hikes, going to the zoo, or even just taking a bike ride around town.
42. Make sure your child feels comfortable. Many overweight children feel very uncomfortable in certainactive situations. Find an activity that allows your child to feel comfortable and secure while still getting the exercise they need.
43. Turn off the TV. Studies have shown that children spend up to 24 hours a week watching TV when they could be doing more active things. Limit the amount of time your child is allowed to watch TV to ensure they’re getting the activity they need to be healthy.
44. Make small changes. You don’t have to go all out at once. Making small changes like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or parking further away can add up over time and help your child in the long run.
45. Encourage children to play sports. Whether it’s a game of soccer in your backyard or a real organized team, encourage your child to find a sport that he or she enjoys playing.
46. Get your child a bike or rollerblades. Fitness that helps a child get to where they need to be faster can be a way to motivate children to get out there and get active.
47. Take trips to the park. Parks are full of ways that are not only healthy but also fun to get active. You and your child can take walks, play on the playground, play sports and much more.
48. Try out more active video games. If your child is dead set on playing video games, try providing them with games that get them more active like Dance, Dance Revolution and a variety of games for the Wii.
49. Make it fun. Don’t make fitness a bore for your child or something they dread. Make it fun instead by getting involved and making fitness more of a game at first.
50. Start with active things around the house. If you have a child that doesn’t seem too keen on running around, you can start out by having them help you around the house. Pulling weeds, sweeping the floor or dusting the furniture may not be fun, but they are healthier for your child than sitting on the couch.

Source:

NOEDb (Nursing Online Education Database): http://noedb.org/library/features/50_tips_helping_overweight_child_stay_healthy

Published on Wednesday 23rd 2008f July, 2008