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.
If your child is not very active, try to find an activity that he or she will enjoy. Although children can benefit from participating in sports, admittedly not all children will find sports a good fit for them.
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.
Although milk may not be good for them, children will continue drinking milk because they've been told early on in life that milk is good. If they drink chocolate milk, this contains even more calories. Low fat yogurt is a good substitute, as this is a good source of protein and calcium but with fewer calories and less fat. You may still think that milk is a healthy food product and you wouldn't want to completely take it out of your child's diet.
Your child may be overweight now, but there is something you can do to help him or her get to a healthy weight. You already know a few strategies that you can use to help your child's weight problem. Make sure you talk with your child's doctor, however, if you need confirmation of whether or not your child is overweight. Keep in mind that children who are overweight or obese didn't become like that in just a blink of an eye. Thus, getting them back to a healthy weight isn't going to happen quickly either.
If your child is not very active, try to find an activity that he or she will enjoy. Although children can benefit from participating in sports, admittedly not all children will find sports a good fit for them.
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.
Although milk may not be good for them, children will continue drinking milk because they've been told early on in life that milk is good. If they drink chocolate milk, this contains even more calories. Low fat yogurt is a good substitute, as this is a good source of protein and calcium but with fewer calories and less fat. You may still think that milk is a healthy food product and you wouldn't want to completely take it out of your child's diet.
Your child may be overweight now, but there is something you can do to help him or her get to a healthy weight. You already know a few strategies that you can use to help your child's weight problem. Make sure you talk with your child's doctor, however, if you need confirmation of whether or not your child is overweight. Keep in mind that children who are overweight or obese didn't become like that in just a blink of an eye. Thus, getting them back to a healthy weight isn't going to happen quickly either.
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