Fitness Book

If your child or teen is overweight or obese and is in need for a makeover, it is best to think about not only your child needing a makeover, but you as well.  Parents truly hold half of the responsibility for making sure their child is healthy.  When your now grade school child or teen was an infant, surely it was almost entirely your responsibility, but these days you cannot control the way your child will eat wherever they go.  It is up to you to provide structure, safety, and opportunities for your child to eat healthy and be active.  It is up to your child whether or not they will take advantage of those opportunities and to what extent.

 

By dividing up the responsibilities like that, you are not only offering the right amount of guidance to helping your child lose weight, but also teaching them it is up to them to make the right decision and they will have your support, NOT pressure, along that journey.  This is essential because children who feel pressure are more likely to do what their parents wish in front of them, but retain unhealthy eating habits when they are not around because it fills them up emotionally. 

 

This is the proper balance.  To help your child or teen lose weight at home, think in terms of you learning to do your part and then YOU trusting them to do their part.  After all, children and teens look to their parents to set up the structure for eating healthy and physical activity in their lives.  There is no five year old child who thinks to himself “And now I’m going to sit at the table to eat my food because this will psychologically help me to retain good eating habits in the future.”  No way!  As parents you have or will learn this, but the child doesn’t get that concept until he’s way into his own adulthood and about to have kids of his own.
While many debate exactly how parents should help their child lose weight, during the school months, the best way to help is by doing the following:

• Reduce time spent on the television, computer, video games, and other activities that promote sitting still.  This will help the child naturally feel “bored” and be forced to come to you for advice on what to do.  That’s when you can suggest the two of you going for a walk outside or having a singing dance contest inside!  Older kids may think this is lame at first, but even they will enjoy if the whole family is involved.  If this doesn’t work, the best thing to do, although perhaps what might cause your child to want to argue, is to get the computer, TV, telephone, and video games out of the bedroom.  If you have access to watching your child utilize these entertainment systems, then you are more likely to notice if your child has been chatting online for 3 hours straight, playing a video game, or if they have been doing homework.
• Consistently have family meal times and avoid letting your child/teen be away during those times.  This will help your child feel secure and confident about home life and the fact that his or her parents care enough about them to talk to them at home.  An emotionally stable child is not likely to overeat, so take this advice very seriously.
• Make sure healthy snacks are more readily available than unhealthy ones.  That doesn’t mean that for every one can of soda you must have 6 pounds of carrots.  This just means that your child is likely to find something healthy in the fridge more often than his favorite junk food.  For example, every time you go to the grocery store you could plan in a few “unhealthy” foods within the meals.  For example, instead of the traditional meat, vegetable, and carb dinner you could eliminate the traditional grain like rice or bread and have chips instead.  Or instead of serving milk or water you could serve soda once twice a week with dinner.  This will indirectly teach them that they should be eating what’s available verses what you will have to make an extra trip to the grocery store and buy.
• Finally, set an example by offering healthier foods more often.  This does not mean you should completely avoid junk food that kids usually love.  Just put some structure on it.  If a child knows he can have junk food on occasion and isn’t restricted intensely, he or she will be less likely to “pig out” on those foods when the opportunity presents itself.  Being healthy shouldn’t feel so bad.  Children and teens will generally try to do what feels good so don’t make eating healthy or being physically active a chore.  They will resent both you and the food and activity.