Recently, there has been a lot of publicity about obesity in children. If you’re a parent, this is something you need to be aware of even if your child may not be overweight. Why are so many kids overweight today? The reasons are essentially the same as the reasons we’ve got so many adults who are either overweight or obese. Most weight problems comes down to how much calories you consume relative to how much calories your body burns through physical activities. As parents, you can do many things to help your kids develop healthy habits in this regard.
There’s no question that kids who are more active are less likely to be overweight. It’s also quite common for overweight or obese children to suffer from low self-esteem. These kids are also not very athletic and are often worried that they’d be made fun of or bullied by other kids. This can discourage them from participating in the very activities that would make them healthier. Get your child to do less challenging physical activities first to get him or her to build confidence. For example, you could start off by taking twenty minute walks with your child. Try also classes or activities that don’t require much athletic ability but offers your child the opportunity to be more active. You can try enrolling your child in swim class. You can also go on long hikes or biking trips on the weekends.
Remember that your child will mimic whatever you do and many of the habits your child develops is based on what he or she sees from you. This is why you should be a good role model. If you or another family member is struggling with weight, it may be difficult for your child to lose weight. If this is the situation in your home, your child isn’t the only one who needs to lose weight. You need to make a family mission out of losing weight. You could use this as a good excuse to regularly have some family time and do healthy activities together. When you neglect your own health, you are not setting a good example for your child. Your child is going to follow your lead so if you aren’t showing your child healthy habits, he or she won’t be developing healthy habits.
Eating huge portions is one habit that many adults and children develop. In children, this habit usually starts when the parent always insist that their child not leave anything on the plate. If your child is way below the ideal weight for his or her age, then you’d want your child to be eating more food. But if your child is overweight, you shouldn’t contribute to the problem and put too much food on the plate. Eating out or ordering fast food often can be a challenge. It’s best if you give your child smaller meal portions and then give him or her a little more if he or she is still hungry. If each meal is one huge portion for your child, he or she is going to get into the habit of overeating. There are many things that parents can do to encourage their children to stay at a healthy weight. We’ve just given you a couple of things you can do to encourage your child to have healthier habits. If your child indeed is overweight, it’s important that you keep your expectations realistic and that you be patient. If your child needs to lose weight, you’ll need to make sure you give him or her lots of encouragement and help because it isn’t easy to lose weight.