Eating too much and eating too little can result in your child becoming overweight and possibly experiencing other health problems. Healthy eating and physical activity are keys to your child’s well being.

It’s not always easy to tell if your child is overweight because children grow at different rates. If you think your child is overweight, speak with your health care provider. Your health care provider can weigh and measure your child’s height and tell you if he or she is in a healthy weight range.

The question then becomes “how do we help our overweight children?” We have to first be supportive of our children’s feelings. Realize their feelings are based on how their family feels about them. Therefore, accepting them at any weight helps them feel positive about themselves. Second, have your family become positive role models, by setting examples for healthy eating habits and taking the time to enter in physical activities with them. Do not put your children on a weight-loss diet unless your health care provider instructs or prescribes that action.

Healthy eating habits begin with parents. Buy more fruits and vegetables and less high calorie sodas, cookies, and snacks. Plan family meals, eat together, and make sure everyone is eating breakfast. Breakfast provides children with energy to grow and learn. Try not to use food as a reward to encourage them to eat. Promising your children dessert if the eat their veggies makes veggies look less valuable than dessert. Never control the amount of food your child eats; provide healthy meals and let them decide how hungry they are.

Like adults, kids need daily physical activities. Setting your kids in front of the television provides you with quite time, but realize how inactive they are. Limit television and encourage more physical activities such as sports or bike riding. Whatever the activity, make it fun.

If you need more help with your child’s weight, there are resources available. Ask your health care provider for brochures or informational booklets. Libraries carry books about weight control for children, just make sure the books are written by health care professionals. Look for websites about healthy eating, physical activity, and weight control for children.

Here are a few resources to start:

www.mypyramid.gov/kids/

www.kidnetic.com

www.kidshealth.org

www.smartmouth.org
 

Forsyth County Classifieds: childhood obesity, kids health, weight management