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We have done a lot of talking about weight loss. After all obesity is almost at epidemic proportions. Young children are even becoming grossly overweight. Developing fat cells as a young child leads to a life time of of weight management issues. We as responsible adults need to be cognizant of the types of foods and the amount of food being consumed by our children. We need to have good eating habits ourselves in order to set good examples for our children.
- Children should be kept active both physically and mentally. Keeping children busy will maintain there focus on performing tasks rather than focusing on food. It will help them to decide to stop and eat when there hungry rather than eating out of boredom.
- Children should be involved in food preparation and taught about the different nutritional values of different foods. This will help assist them in making better choices when they are eating away from you as a parent.
- Children should be taught portion control. A thin child eats all day but they eat small amounts. It is a fact that the size of the dish the food is served on is important. Studies have shown that people do not feel satisfied unless the plate they are eating from is somewhat full. Therefore it is recommended to eat off smaller dishes. If you have an overweight child. Simply switching to a smaller plate may make a huge difference in the amount of calories the child consumes in a day.
- Then there is sugar. It is imperative to reduce sugar intake. This is the hardest thing to do with children. Limit sugar containing drinks such as soda and fruit juices. READ LABELS. Stay away from products containing high fructose corn syrup.
- Do not change the diet too fast or push your child into health eating to hard as it may have the opposite effect.
- Using a scale that is educational may also help your child loose weight. Children love gadgets. A scale that interacts with a smart phone is something kids may get interested in. New scales give lots of information which you can use as a teaching tool such as weight, body water, body fat, BMI, bone mass and muscle mass which can be viewed with explanations on a smart phone. Having a contest with your child on who can change the values faster (you or them) can be a fun challenge to a child.
