5 Simple Tips for Managing Your Child’s Weight
As you should already know, obesity in children is a major problem. According to recent surveys, thirty-two percent of the children in the United States are overweight or obese. While experts do believe that the rate of growth of this problem is slowing down, it is far from being solved or even under control.
We could spend all day debating who is responsible for the widespread problem of childhood obesity, but in my opinion (which I’m not alone in believing), if you are a parent and have a child, their health and weight are your responsibility. Granted, there is no way for you to control every piece of food that goes into your child’s mouth, but you do have a major opportunity to influence your child’s attitude and feelings toward food and exercise.
Instead of wasting your time with hypothetical scenarios or a long rant that doesn’t provide any answers or solutions, I want to give you tips that you can start using today. Although every item that I’m going to discuss below is quite simple, if you implement it into you and your child’s life, it can truly make a major improvement in your child’s health and weight.
Pack Their Lunch: I really think that schools are doing a much better job of providing healthier options for students. However, this does not mean that your kids are choosing those healthy options. If you haven’t been in a school cafeteria lately, you would be shocked at how many children consider a basket of fries, a Twinkie and a Coke to be a full lunch.
While you can’t ensure 100% percent that your child won’t eat any junk in the cafeteria, if you pack their lunch instead of sending them to school with five dollars and their own judgment, you can really improve the quality of what they are eating. Just remember that although their packed lunch should be healthy, you want to make sure they actually eat it, so pack foods that your child enjoys eating.
Stop Giving Them Adult Portions: Plain and simple, kids don’t need as much food as adults. Therefore, the next time that you’re preparing dinner, remember that they will be just fine with a much smaller portion of the meal.
Get Rid of the Junk: If you bring junk into your home, your child is going to eat it. So, the next time that you are in the grocery store, keep walking straight ahead when you come to the snack food aisles.
Make Healthy Food Fun: In terms of appearance and color, healthy foods are much more attractive than highly processed foods. Therefore, if you want your child to eat healthier forms of food, you just need to use a little creativity during the preparation to make it as appealing as possible to your child.
Send Them Outside: I don’t know why parents find it so hard to tell their kids to get off the couch and go outside. Your kid may argue with you at first, but as long as you don’t back down, not only will your child go outside, but they will end up having a lot of fun (and actually getting some exercise).
(Photos by femmeannie and smanjo)
