subject: What Do You Do If Your Child Is Overweight? [print this page] You give birth to a healthy, happy babyYou give birth to a healthy, happy baby. As the weeks go by he seems to be gaining a lot of weight. He's in preschool now and the other kids are making fun of him because he can't run with them on the playground. In a game of tag he is always "it" because he can't catch any of the others. He comes home crying about his day. You feel bad for your child. What should you do?
First and foremost make an appointment with the pediatrician. The extra pounds may be a sign of something more serious. If the doctor can't find anything medically wrong he will probably suggest a diet. Now that is not the word any kid wants to hear. He's talking to his 7-8 year old friends telling them he's on a diet. Instead of putting your child on a diet how about trying a different approach? One that is not quite so harsh.
You can help your child by working on weight control instead of weight loss. Their bodies are still developing at this age which provides hope that they will, over time, grow into their current body weight if they control their intake. Don't limit food intake if your child has a weight problem. If you drastically decrease the amount of food the child is used to eating you may be setting him up for a binging mentality. With the threat of binging comes the possibility of purging which leads to more sever health problems such as anorexia and bulimia.
Instead, help you child to understand why he eats so much. When does he feel full, not stuffed? When you are no longer hungry is the time to stop eating. You should not continue to eat for the sake of eating or because "it tastes good".
What psychological factors might he be trying to deal with that need comfort in the form of food? Perhaps the biggest thing any parent can do to help their overweight child is work with them to increase their self-esteem. Your child, because of their weight, may not be very good at sports. Don't criticize their play on the field. Instead, if you see them helping a sibling with homework or assisting with the yard work praise them for what they have been able to accomplish. Let your children know that you love them just the way they are. If you are not asking them to constantly weigh themselves and therefore, be ashamed of their weight, they may just begin to like themselves. Explain to them that the way they look on the outside has nothing to do with the loving, giving person they are on the inside.
Finally, encourage them to get active. Limit "screen" time. "Screens" include everything from video games to televisions, cell phones and computers. Take family walks after dinner. Not only will this help walk off the calories but the fresh air will probably bring on a good night's sleep. Do fun things outdoors together. Canoeing or hiking doesn't feel like exercising when you are having a great time with the family or just one parent. Give each member of the family a pedometer. Schedule daily or weekly competitions to see who walked the most during that given time period.
Ask your child what the best thing was about doing any of these activities. There is a really good chance that the answer you get might be that they got to do it with you or as a family. These are important connections for any child and will probably help them on their way to a healthier body.
by: Brenda Simard
welcome to Insurances.net (https://www.insurances.net)
