Weight Problems and Children (continued)

Focus on the Family

Parents should try not to set children apart because of their weight, but focus on gradually changing their family's physical activity and eating habits. Family involvement helps to teach everyone healthful habits and does not single out the overweight child.

Increase Your Family's Physical Activity

Regular physical activity, combined with healthy eating habits, is the most efficient and healthful way to control your weight. It is also an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Some simple ways to increase your family's physical activity include the following:

• Be a role model for your children. If your children see that you are physically active and have fun, they are more likely to be active and stay active for the rest of their lives.
• Plan family activities that provide everyone with exercise and enjoyment, like walking, dancing, biking, or swimming. For example, schedule a walk with your family after dinner instead of watching TV. Make sure that you plan activities that can be done in a safe environment.
• Be sensitive to your child's needs. Overweight children may feel uncomfortable about participating in certain activities. It is important to help your child find physical activities that they enjoy and that aren't embarrassing or too difficult.
• Reduce the amount of time you and your family spend in sedentary activities, such as watching TV or playing video games.
• Become more active throughout your day and encourage your family to do so as well. For example, walk up the stairs instead of taking the elevator, or do some activity during a work or school break-get up and stretch or walk around.

The point is not to make physical activity an unwelcome chore, but to make the most of the opportunities you and your family have to be active.

Teach Your Family Healthy Eating Habits

Teaching healthy eating practices early will help children approach eating with the right attitude-that food should be enjoyed and is necessary for growth, development, and for energy to keep the body running. The best way to begin is to learn more about children's nutritional needs by reading or talking with a health professional and then to offer them some healthy options, allowing your children to choose what and how much they eat.

Don't Place Your Child on a Restrictive Diet

Children should never be placed on a restrictive diet to lose weight, unless a doctor supervises one for medical reasons. Limiting what children eat may be harmful to their health and interfere with their growth and development.

To promote proper growth and development and prevent overweight, parents should offer the whole family a wide variety of foods from each of the food groups.

• Most of the foods in your diet should come from the grain products group (6-11 servings), the vegetable group (3-5 servings), and the fruit group (2-4 servings). (See chart for suggested serving sizes.)
• Your diet should include moderate amounts of foods from the milk group (2-3 servings) and the meat and beans group (2-3 servings).
• Foods that provide few nutrients and are high in fat and sugars should be used sparingly. Fat should not be restricted in the diets of children younger than 2 years of age.

Examples of One Serving 

Bread, cereal, rice, pasta

• 1 slice of bread
• 1 ounce of ready to eat cereal
• 1/2 cup of cooked cereal, rice, or pasta

Milk, yogurt, cheese

• 1 cup of milk or yogurt
• 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese
• 2 ounces of processed cheese

Vegetables

• 1 cup of raw vegetables or 1/2 cup of frozen leafy leafy vegetables (cooked)
• 1/2 cup of other vegetables - cooked or chopped raw
• 3/4 cup of vegetable juice

Meat, poulty, fish, beans, nuts

• 2-3 ounces of cooked lean meat, poultry, or fish
• 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans or 1 egg counts as 1 ounce of lean meat
• 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or 1/3 cup of nuts count as 1 ounce of meat

Fruits