A Family Approach to Weight Loss is Best

Perhaps the single, most effective way to change your child's diet and level of physical activity is to set a good example. Children usually don't do the grocery shopping or food preparation. They don't organize outside activities or drive themselves to the recreational center or park. Children aren't able to change these behaviors on their own. To help your child eat better and be more physically active, you need to get involved. Better yet, the entire family should be on board, including siblings, aunts, uncles, grandparents and other caregivers.

Research has shown that children have most success losing or stabilizing their weight when a family approach is taken. The opposite also may be true. If the family isn't on board and isn't ready to make significant changes in the foods eaten and the amount of time spent being active, studies have shown it can do the child more harm than good, as it may make the child feel like a failure or think that he or she will never be able to lose weight.

Along the same lines, caregivers outside the immediate family -- such as a grandmother, uncle or babysitter -- may inadvertently sabotage efforts and become a barrier to progress. They may use food to create a bond with the child, they may use food as a reward or a pacifier or they may have a weight problem themselves that they are not willing to address. Literally, anybody who is involved with anything related to food and caring for the child needs to be on board and involved in this process of health behavior change.