FYI Health Tip
One out of three American kids is either obese or overweight.
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The obesity epidemic, especially as it relates to children, has been a topic of great debate recently. Who’s to blame? Food companies? Advertising? The government? Parents? While the increase in the number of overweight and obese children cannot be attributed to one single cause, a recent study showed that parents are an important part of the solution.
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Loading ...In the study, the overweight children of parents who received both lifestyle education and parenting skills training had greater reductions in BMI than the children of parents who only received lifestyle education. Basically, these results show that information alone is not enough. Parents need strategies and skills to help their children adopt a healthier lifestyle. The sessions on parenting skills used the Positive Parenting Program and coached parents on managing situations that are likely to lead to kids overeating by using a problem-solving approach.
Helping overweight children lose weight can be a tricky balancing act; you want to encourage a healthier lifestyle while avoiding disparaging the child or placing blame so you can conserve their sense of self worth. The goal with overweight and obese children is not actually weight loss, but weight maintenance, allowing the child to grow into their weight. Here are some quick tips to get you started:
- Lead by example. Eat your greens, turn off the TV and walk instead of drive.
- Cut liquid calories. Gradually dilute juice with water, switch to fat-free or low-fat milk and make soda an occasional treat.
- Don’t become a diet dictator, but let your child choose from a few healthy options.
- Involve your kids in menu planning, shopping and preparing meals.
- Don’t single out your kid. The whole family should participate in making healthy choices, including eating the same foods and finding fun activities to do together such as bowling, skating or biking.
The supporting research
Parents Essential in Weight Management of Children
Summary
Obesity has increasingly become a critical medical problem in children. High body weight and obesity are associated with numerous medical and significant psychological problems. This study out of Australia has shown that parent-only strategies, consisting of healthy lifestyle education and training in parenting skills, may be an effective tool to manage obesity in children. The six-month program showed that a relative weight loss of about 10 percent could be achieved in moderately obese, preadolescent children; demonstrating, also that the weight loss could be sustained for up to two years after the beginning of the program.
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See the child and you normally see the parent - not always the case. Parents need to join in and teach their child healthy eating habits. Unfortunately, many parents do not have these healthy habits and give their children high calorie, high starch and fatty food in large quantities. It amazes me that some parents feel that unless their child has surplus amounts of food each day that they are not looking after that child properly.
