If your child (4 years and older) is slightly on the bulkier side, and if you think, there are chances that he/she may become obese in the near future, start acting immediately. It’s not healthy for a child to be overweight. It increases his/her risks of getting several diseases in the later stages of his/her life. Try to inculcate healthier eating habits in children.
Here are some tips for preventing childhood obesity :
- Take the help of a doctor and check your child’s eating habits. Find the reason why your child eats more. Is it due to stress or habit ? Some children are fat due to hereditary reasons.
- Cut down on fat intake. Let him/her eat low-fat or non-fat dairy products and poultry without skin and lean meats. Replace whole milk with skim milk.
- Guide your child rather than dictate foods. Make a wide variety of healthy foods available in the house. Always keep fruits handy at home, so that your child can binge on them whenever there are hunger pangs.
- Encourage your children to eat slowly, so that he/she does not eat more than he/she can digest.
- Eat meals together as a family. Try to make meal times pleasant with good conversation and sharing, not a time for scolding or arguing. If meal times are unpleasant, children try to eat faster to leave the table as soon as possible. Then, they start associating eating with stress.
- Encourage your child to participate in active play. Let your child play in the backyard with the neighbourhood kids. Buy a bicycle for your kid.
- Let him/her play more of outdoor games than indoor games. Don’t let youir child become addicted to video games.
- Cut down the intake of chocolates and sugary foods. Avoid pre-prepared foods and foods with extra sugar.
- Check whether your child is glued to the T.V for long hours on end. If that is the case, fix 2 hours for watching cartoons. That’s it.
- Let your child take part in physical work and activities like cleaning the house and serving breakfast.
- Check what your child eats in his school hours for lunch. Don’t encourage him/her to eat cheesy burgers and pizzas. Make sure your child’s meals outside the home are balanced. Find out more about the school lunch program, or pack their lunch to include a variety of foods.
- Too much of fries is also not good. Cut down the intake of chips and french fries.
- Let your child drink water whenever he/she feels thirsty. Or make him/her drink fresh juices. Never encourage colas and soft drinks.
- Limit the amount of high-calorie food kept in the home. Provide enough fiber, instead of fats.
- Do not reward completion of meals with sweet desserts or chocolates.
- Lead by example. If your children see that you are physically active and exercise to keep fit, they will also stay active.
- Plan family outings and activities together like walking, biking and swimming.
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