It is difficult to see so many children literally overburdening their bodies at such young ages by being overweight. These children cannot run, jump or play with other children because their bodies simply will not permit them to do so. Dieting is a necessity for these kids in spite of our best efforts to insulate them from the self-esteem issues that often go together with obesity.
If you have a child that is well outside the average weight range for his or her age, you are the one who must take the necessary steps to make certain that they shed those excess pounds in order to live a life that is as close to normal as possible. The first thing you need to do however is talk to your child’s physician about the best possible course of action to look after the health of your child.
Put quite bluntly however, if you do not make the effort to help your child to shed those pounds you are placing the health of your child at risk. We do not let our kids play in the street, we do not let them run around with knives, why on Earth would we allow them to commit suicide by candy? If you have a child that is obese, the following advice should help you and them with their dieting.
First of all, do not make food a penalty or a prize. Food is part of the difficulty with your children and you should not use it against them. Instead, introduce them to healthy alternatives. Do not keep junk food in the home and do not let them purchase lunch at school. Pack their lunches for school so that you know what they are eating. If you do not give them junk food to take away and they cannot have it when at home, they will be better off.
Include healthy snacks into your family’s eating routine rather than junk food. Fresh fruit, chopped vegetables, nuts, and frozen yogurt are good healthy snacks for your kids. When in doubt, consult the food pyramid but watch calories in the process. You want your kids to eat a well balanced diet and eliminate junk food and sweets.
Cut out the juices and pop. This may be a huge problem in your house but the best gift you can offer your child is a deep and long-lasting appreciation of water. Water works to make their stomachs feel full and keeps them hydrated for the added exercises you should be introducing into their lives.
Have them take dance lessons, take up a sport, or simply get out and run around the yard. The worst thing you can do is to allow your children to become comatose television, computer, or video game zombies. Get them out of the house and get them active. This helps in two ways. First of all, they are not eating if they are outside playing and having a good time. Second, they are burning calories as they play which is a big bonus in the dieting process of your children.
As your child begins to lose weight, you should start to notice a very big change in not only the way he or she bears his or herself but also in his or her relations with others. Your child will notice a restored self-confidence as the pounds come off and the teasing at school stops.
If you are at a total loss as to how to help your child take the weight off there are camps that are designed expressly to deal with weight problems and building self-esteem in children aged 7-19. A camp may be just the answer you are looking for. Another thing to think about is to lead by example. If you do not eat junk food, if you are active, and if you do not engage in emotional over-eating your child will not be learning those behaviours from you or having them strengthened by you.
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