We Can! Parent Tips: Healthy Families, Healthy Weight

There is probably nothing more important to you than your children. Taking them for regular checkups by a health care provider is one of the important ways you help protect their health. Encouraging them to eat a healthy diet and get plenty of physical activity is also very important. More and more children in the United States weigh more than they should, and being overweight or obese (very overweight) can not only hurt a child’s self-esteem but also cause serious long-term health problems. Making sure that your family eats right and gets enough physical activity is not always easy, but there are resources available to help you.

We Can! is a national education program of the National Institutes of Health to help parents, families, and communities raise children with healthy weights. Today’s lifestyles can often make it diffi cult for parents to keep their families at a healthy weight. And, since children are growing, it is often not easy to know whether your child is at a healthy weight. Exactly what a healthy weight is depends on a child’s age, height, and other factors. Your health care provider will calculate your child’s Body Mass Index (BMI) to help you determine if your child is at a healthy weight. The BMI can then be tracked over time to see how your child is growing. If your child’s BMI is in the healthy range, maintaining energy balance will keep it there.

Energy Balance. Energy balance is when the amount of energy IN (in the form of calories in food or drink) is the same as the energy OUT (in activities of daily living, sports and other physical activity). Becoming overweight happens when, over time, the energy we take IN by eating is more than the energy going OUT. The unburned calories get stored as extra body weight and body fat. Your child will be in “energy balance” when energy IN and energy OUT is enough to make sure they grow as they should without gaining extra weight. Some children do not need to eat a lot of extra calories to get out of balance and add on the pounds.

In order for a child to lose extra, unhealthy weight, the energy IN must be less than the energy OUT. That means:

• Choosing foods that are nutritious and lower in calories
• Cutting back on portion size (if your family tends to over-eat)
• Increasing physical activity
• Limiting “screen time” spent watching TV and playing video games that replace physical activity.

Examples of Reducing Energy IN and Increasing Energy OUT

Reduce Energy IN:

• Instead of giving your child an entire bottle of fruit juice or soda, pour a small amount (1/2 cup) into a cup
• Prepare foods by steaming, baking or broiling instead of frying.
• For dessert, serve fruit (GO food) instead of cake, cookies or ice cream (WHOA food).

Increase Energy OUT:

• Bike to the library together.
• Turn off Saturday morning cartoons and take your child roller-blading or to the zoo.
• Plan family outings around physical activity like trips to the park, bike rides, or community sports events in which everyone participates.

Another step for you to try with your children is to reduce the amount of television and screen time they spend to less than two hours a day. Sitting in front of the television or computer for large periods of time can often lead to increases in children’s weight. Substituting more active play for TV time can help children maintain a healthy weight.