If your child is overweight, consider talking with your family physician about a healthy and practical weight loss solution. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Childhood obesity is particularly troubling because the extra pounds often start kids on the path to health problems that were once confined to adults, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol."
However, because children and teens are vulnerable to negative comments from parents and are still struggling with body image issues, parents need to handle the situation with care and tact. In addition to a healthy exercise and nutritional plan from your doctor, keep in mind the following tips when helping your overweight child achieve a healthier weight:
Let them know you love and accept them no matter their weight.
Subtly help them get moving... do physical activities with them. Go for a walk around the block or at the mall. Let them think they are helping you stay healthy.
Help them find an active interest or hobby. A child who has an activity they can "get lost in" is less likely to fill their down time with food. TV-watching and playing video games don't count – while these may be fine in limited amounts, children (and adults) are easily tempted to grab a bag of chips while zoning out.
Make sure they have clothes that help them feel attractive. Don't put off buying them clothes until they lose weight. The better they feel about themselves the more likely they will be to put food in its proper place.
Don't nag your child about his or her weight or criticize them about their appearance.
Don't compare them to other, slimmer children or siblings.
Don't be food or diet-focused yourself. If they hear you talking about weight all of the time, they'll be more inclined to make it their focus too. Make sure they know that the inner qualities of a person, such as good character and kindness, are important and valued.
Don't make your child's food choices a focus with comments like, "Haven't you had enough already? Maybe you should think about skipping dessert tonight."
Don't make certain foods "off-limits." That will just make your child focus on that food more.
Look at your child's eating habits and snack choices. Do they reflect your family as a whole? Stock the fridge and pantry with healthy snack choices and consider buying a cookbook with low-fat recipes.
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