With all the focus that educational, medical and press associations are putting on childhood obesity, it’s time to look for solutions. The idea of putting your child on a diet may not be appealing, but let’s not refer to it as a diet. Let’s call it a lifestyle change.
If you are worried that your child is obese or overweight, you should consult your child’s pediatrician. Ask them for a health assessment and evaluation. Weight issues in children and teenagers may be a result of poor diet or other medical issues. There is also the sensitivity that these groups will have with regard to their weight.
Now, be aware that some children gain weight in the months leading up to a growth spurt. For example, a child may start eating excessively and put on a couple of extra inches around the waist just before they shoot up a few inches in height. Those new inches in height may very well offset the extra inch on the waist if not eliminate it. So watch for patterns in their growth and weight gain before becoming too concerned.
The reasons for such high statistics of childhood obesity in the United States I blamed primarily on the easy access to fast food or high sugar foods. If your child is eating a lot of drive through fast food or processed foods, then it may be time to consider a change. For busy parents, this may mean making the extra time to pre-prepare meals and healthy snacks. It also means limiting or totally removing the amount of fast or processed food they consume.
For example, candy bars and soda are loaded with calories that your child doesn’t need. Instead go for fruit and water or fruit juices for snack. A good plan for children’s diets is the 5 A Day program.
5 A Day requires that children eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. For example, carrot sticks instead of potato chips. Offer an apple instead of a pop tart or a banana instead of a candy bar. Offer them a selection of different types of vegetables, sure – there will be ones they don’t like, but focus on the ones that they do like.
Your child is unlikely to go for the changes swiftly. So start by making gradual substitutions. Build up to the point where they choose the healthy snack over the unhealthy one. You’ll be delighted when your child prefers to eat some fruit to a handful of M&Ms. If your child is young, then it is likely they will outgrow their weight issues once they are eating a healthier diet. If they are older, you may want to encourage more activity in their daily life as well.
Some young child will resist change altogether. They will miss their chocolate treats and their bubbling cokes. You can work up a combination effort of a cheat day for your child – for example – Friday afternoons are perfect for a soda treat and chocolate can be for special occasions.
You can also suggest that there are a lot of other kids in the world who do not have access to all these sweet foods. Add up what you spend on it and offer to donate it to a charity in their name. My daughter responds to this method more often than not. We’ve done the Angel tree, we donate objects when they put the bags on our doors and we’re always taking spare change to put into fund jars, she is hyperaware of them when she sees them. Young children particularly feel empathy for others and you would be teaching two lessons – one in healthy eating habits and the other in compassion.