Each year, the number of children who are obese is growing at an alarming rate that it has become an epidemic. Every parent needs to be concerned and informed about this problem. Just why are we seeing a huge incidence of obesity in children today? The reasons are essentially the same as the reasons we've got so many adults who are either overweight or obese. It comes down to how much you eat relative to the amount of physical activity you get. There are many things that parents like you can do to ensure that your child doesn't end up overweight or obese.
Get your child to be a lot more active by scheduling healthy family activities regularly. This won't just benefit your child but your entire family as well. Take this as an opportunity for everyone in the family to bond and get healthy. Go on long hikes one weekend and swimming the following weekend. Vary the physical activities you do with the family every week so your child doesn't get bored. Does your family have dogs? Make the family activities more fun by taking them along. When you take family vacations, make sure you plan healthy activities for your child. Don't simply spend the time sitting in the car or in a tour bus. When you get the whole family involved in healthy activities, you're teaching your child healthy habits.
The rewards you give out can be based on your child's accomplishment. For reaching a target weight, for instance, a nice reward can be a trip to your child's favorite amusement park. Healthy, low-calorie snacks are better for your child if he or she is to prevent or reverse a weight problem. Children love to snack and when they do, they often snack on chips, candies, and other junk foods. Encourage your child to snack on nuts, fruits, yogurt, or some other healthy alternative. Your attempts at changing your child's snacking habit will most likely be met with resistance but only at the beginning. You'll need to be firm and let your child know that he or she will be much better off snacking on healthy foods. Instead of the usual chocolate bar, put trail mix in with your child's lunch.
For so many years, it has been believed that milk is healthy and should therefore be part of every person's diet. Today, there are differing opinions with regards to milk and dairy products. Milk and other milk-based products (e.g., ice cream, cheese) aren't healthy for overweight or obese kids.
Eating huge portions is one habit that many adults and children develop. In many cases, this habit starts when parents force their children to finish all the food on their plate. If your child is underweight or doesn't seem to be eating enough, you should encourage your child to eat more. But if your child looks like he or she is overweight, make sure the food on his or her plate is just enough to satisfy hunger. Eating out or ordering fast food often can be a challenge. Your child should be eating smaller portions and you can give your child more food if he or she is still hungry. It's important that you don't give your child a huge amount of food to eat in one go, as that will only cause him or her to develop the habit of overeating.
The least you can do, though, is make sure that your child isn't consuming too much of it, especially the ice creams and cheeses. Hopefully this article has helped you realize that there are quite a few actions you can take to help your child reach his or her ideal weight. You also need to remember that all the weight your child has gained didn't just happen overnight so it's unreasonable of you to expect your child to lose weight overnight. It's going to be a long process wherein you need to be patient and persistent and remain positive and encouraging. Obesity or being overweight is a very challenging situation but that doesn't mean it's an impossible situation to overcome. When the entire family is involved and provides lots of encouragement and support, your child is a lot more likely to reach his or her healthy weight faster.
Get your child to be a lot more active by scheduling healthy family activities regularly. This won't just benefit your child but your entire family as well. Take this as an opportunity for everyone in the family to bond and get healthy. Go on long hikes one weekend and swimming the following weekend. Vary the physical activities you do with the family every week so your child doesn't get bored. Does your family have dogs? Make the family activities more fun by taking them along. When you take family vacations, make sure you plan healthy activities for your child. Don't simply spend the time sitting in the car or in a tour bus. When you get the whole family involved in healthy activities, you're teaching your child healthy habits.
The rewards you give out can be based on your child's accomplishment. For reaching a target weight, for instance, a nice reward can be a trip to your child's favorite amusement park. Healthy, low-calorie snacks are better for your child if he or she is to prevent or reverse a weight problem. Children love to snack and when they do, they often snack on chips, candies, and other junk foods. Encourage your child to snack on nuts, fruits, yogurt, or some other healthy alternative. Your attempts at changing your child's snacking habit will most likely be met with resistance but only at the beginning. You'll need to be firm and let your child know that he or she will be much better off snacking on healthy foods. Instead of the usual chocolate bar, put trail mix in with your child's lunch.
For so many years, it has been believed that milk is healthy and should therefore be part of every person's diet. Today, there are differing opinions with regards to milk and dairy products. Milk and other milk-based products (e.g., ice cream, cheese) aren't healthy for overweight or obese kids.
Eating huge portions is one habit that many adults and children develop. In many cases, this habit starts when parents force their children to finish all the food on their plate. If your child is underweight or doesn't seem to be eating enough, you should encourage your child to eat more. But if your child looks like he or she is overweight, make sure the food on his or her plate is just enough to satisfy hunger. Eating out or ordering fast food often can be a challenge. Your child should be eating smaller portions and you can give your child more food if he or she is still hungry. It's important that you don't give your child a huge amount of food to eat in one go, as that will only cause him or her to develop the habit of overeating.
The least you can do, though, is make sure that your child isn't consuming too much of it, especially the ice creams and cheeses. Hopefully this article has helped you realize that there are quite a few actions you can take to help your child reach his or her ideal weight. You also need to remember that all the weight your child has gained didn't just happen overnight so it's unreasonable of you to expect your child to lose weight overnight. It's going to be a long process wherein you need to be patient and persistent and remain positive and encouraging. Obesity or being overweight is a very challenging situation but that doesn't mean it's an impossible situation to overcome. When the entire family is involved and provides lots of encouragement and support, your child is a lot more likely to reach his or her healthy weight faster.
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This article collected, selected and written by: Author Van Hoc
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