Wednesday, March 9

Motivating Your Overweight Child With Weight Loss Tips For Kids

By Diana Lensbury


Sometimes simple changes are enough. Switch to non-fat milk, reduce potion sizes, eat nutritious snacks. Eat at the table, don't overeat in front of the TV. Healthy weight loss tips for kids include an emphasis on eating right and playing daily as a way of life. Losing pounds is only necessary when a child has reached adult height, otherwise just stop children from gaining more pounds. Growing bodies need proper nutrition so don't eliminate any of the food groups.

Unhealthy foods to remove from the diet are hamburger, sausage, bacon, fast food, sodas, french fries, cookies and chips. Replace with healthy foods like seafood, chicken, turkey, beans, peanut butter, soy. Serve fruits and vegetables at every meal and they should be available for snacks at any times.

Control portions while satisfying hunger by serving smaller meals and offering healthy snacks to satiate hunger. Some healthy snacks kids like are cheese, eggs in tortillas, whole grain cereal with low or non-fat milk, rice cakes or whole grain waffles with peanut butter, vegetables with hummus dip, fruit, yogurt or smoothies made with nonfat yogurt.

For young children, introduce new foods and snacks, slowly eliminating the not so healthy choices. Increase exercise by introducing new games. Go on family walks or bike rides, or play interactive Wii games. Other activities that may spark their interest are jump ropes, trampolines, rollerskating, more time spent at the park or swimming.

Older children need to feel in control. They need information, encouragement, and motivation. Parents lead by example. Only healthy foods should be available in the pantry. Older children may be embarrassed about their body size, not wanting to work out in a public gym. A treadmill can be a good investment that serves the whole family. Family activities like walks, bike rides, and Wii games can be fun for all. Consider purchasing a trampoline or a basketball hoop for the backyard.

Weight charts refer to bone structure when recommending weights. When your child wraps his thumb and middle finger around his wrist, fingertips meeting indicates medium bone structure. Overlap indicates small bone structure, a gap indicates a large-boned frame. A nutritionist can assess bone structure and muscle development to set realistic and healthy goals.

Ask the nutritionist for weight loss tips for kids. Sometimes hospitals or clinics have health programs geared to children, or the doctor may recommend a weight loss camp that is designed to be fun. Kids play, hike and swim. The goal is to develop healthy eating habits, and an active lifestyle that is fun. Goals that require mustering willpower may succeed temporarily, but will always fail over time.




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