Helping Your Child Lose Weight

Before you start your child on a strict diet or exercise program, consult with your pediatrician. Make sure that there are no underlying health issue before undertaking a diet program for your child. . If your child has a hormone imbalance for example, he or she will grow slower than other children his age and there will be other signs of ill health as well.

Your pediatrician will also tell you whether or not he believes your child is overweight. Sometimes, parents battling weight issues  themselves, will project the same for their child when it turns out to be not necessarily true. Sometimes, the child is caught in an awkward growth spurt and it will straighten out by itself as the child gets older.

Childhood obesity is a growing problem and one that needs to be looked at early.

How can you help your child lose weight?

Examine the contents of your pantry and your refrigerator. How many sugared cereals and snacks do you see? How many bags of potato chips, regular sodas, sugared drink mixes, salty snacks and starches are you giving your child to eat? Start tossing out the junk food- if unopened; give the food products to a local food bank. Look to restocking your shelves and fridge with wholesome foods and snacks that give your child energy. Not ones that put the pounds on.

Does your child participate in any type of sports? Is there a community swimming pool nearby that you can go to and have a day out with your child? Does he ride his bike to his friend’s house, or do you drive him?  Is he plopped down in front of a television or a computer on his time off from homework and school? If so, encourage him to get outside. Organize a weekly walk with the neighborhood kids and their moms and drive to walking trails and begin hiking. Go to the beach and start beachcombing- metal detectors are a great way to encourage a child to get off the couch and start treasure hunting. So is the purchase of an older dog or a puppy. There is kite flying, Frisbee throwing, any number of activities where you can engage your child’s mind and let him get more exercise than he is currently.

Plan your meals accordingly.

Give your child a variety of foods. Don’t insist he eat all of these foods, but ask him to at least sample them. Fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains, dairy products and other meats besides beef can make mealtime fun.

Eat at the table. It is amazing how much unconscious eating we do in front of the computer, or the television set. Engage your child in conversation during the meal and enforce table manners. The faster your child eats the more harm he is doing to his system. Try installing a full-length mirror in your dining room so all the diners can observe themselves as they eat. Mirror tiles work really good for this purpose.

Volunteer yourself for outside activities and encourage your child to attend the events. Girl Scout leaders, Boy Scouts, 4-H, Boys and Girls clubs- all of these organizations welcome volunteers.

Is your child self-conscious? Don’t add to his discomfort. If he is wearing the wrong outfit to school, casually suggest a change of clothes for him. If your child is being bullied by other children, take time to listen to his complaints. You can go to the other parents but that sometimes will make the abuse worse, so keep your head about you if you are dealing with this type of situation.

Leave healthy snacks in the house; limit the amount of money you give your child each day. Find out about the school lunch program and if you see foods that are not good for your child being served, then become a PTA member and voice those concerns at the next meeting. Be your child’s champion in this cause.

When you see the small changes, praise your child. You can even reward your child for a job well done.

Understand that the weight needs to come off slowly, and don’t put your child into a weight loss surgical procedure unless your doctor has told you it is entirely necessary.

Take your child grocery shopping, give him the job of reading labels. Go when you have plenty of time to spend and talk about each choice before the food product lands in your grocery cart.

Limit the time your child spends at the computer or in front of the television. If you have a back yard, hide small items in the back yard and give your child a list of these items. Give him a certain time-frame to find each item. Every item found, is his. Hide paperback books, wrapped in plastic, small toys or school supplies. Be creative!

Set up chores around the house. Ask your child to dust or mop. Hide small change in the room he or she is cleaning. If he does a good job, he will be rewarded by some pocket change. The places you hide the money in should encourage your child to be active- top of door jambs, underneath couch cushions those types of places.

Enjoy the moments with your child. Make time to be active as a family. Don’t push your child into something he may not want to do, but don’t just let him sit like a lump in front of electronic babysitters.  His health and well-being may suffer long-term if you do.