Nutrition and Weight Control for Children

Nutritious Choices

• The younger your child, the more dependent he is on you to make healthy choices available, making it paramount for you to approach nutrition and weight control as a joint effort, not singling out the child who struggles with being under or overweight. You can't keep sugary, high-fat foods and drinks around and expect your child not to eat them. So stock your cupboards and refrigerator with healthy choices like fruits and vegetables, whole grain crackers, cheeses and milk. Fast food and convenient processed foods may save time in the short run, but they are packed with sugar, fat and salt, which work against your aim to grow your child's appetite for healthy foods. Avoid using food as a reward and involve your child in meal planning to help him learn that a healthy meal should contain a nutritious balance of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, protein and fat.

Portion Control

• Economy-size food packaging and super-size meals at fast food restaurants skew your perception of how much food your body actually needs. Teach your child to read and interpret food labels for calories, nutrients and serving sizes so she can make informed choices about how much of her favorite breakfast cereal or macaroni and cheese is enough. She doesn't have to give up all the foods she loves but knowing the proper portion sizes will help her learn discipline and self-control in her eating habits. Teach her not to fill up on one type of food but to include a reasonable helping of protein, grains and fruits or vegetables to satisfy her appetite. Children's eyes are often bigger than their appetites, so the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases recommends starting with small servings with the option to ask for more if your child is still hungry after eating everything on her plate.

Exercise

• Good nutrition is only part of the answer to weight control for children or adults. Even if your child is not grossly overeating, if the bulk of his day is spent sitting at a desk doing school work only to come home to plop down in front of the TV, video games or the computer, he is not getting enough exercise to burn off the calories he consumed. If this becomes a regular habit, then the weight will start to pile on. The answer is to incorporate more physical activity into your family's day. Just as with eating habits, your kids will be more likely to copy what they see you doing. Therefore, make fitness a family activity. Take a walk or a bike ride before or after dinner. Jump on a trampoline together or play catch, soccer or basketball. Hold impromptu running races or physical challenges. Go swimming. Walk the dog. Take a dance or gymnastics class or simply turn on some music and dance in your living room or kitchen. Whatever gets you and your child moving and having fun together will pay off in better health and weight control.

Body Image

• As your kids move into the pre-teen years, they may become more self-conscious about their body, especially if weight is a struggle. The media bombards them with images that promote self-criticism and dissatisfaction with the way they look if it doesn't match up to what's "in." This negative self-image can quickly blossom into seeking comfort in unhealthy eating habits which serves as a self-fulfilling prophecy as it becomes a vicious cycle of self sabotage that can cause long-term psychological damage to her self-image and confidence.
   
  What your child needs from you, especially if she is fighting a battle with her weight, is patience, empathy and compassionate support. Accept her just as she is and support any effort she makes to eat healthy and move more. Acknowledge her struggles and ask her what kind of help she would appreciate from you in her quest to be healthier, without being condescending or critical. Be on the lookout for any opportunity to give her sincere compliments, both on her physical appearance and her inner character to help her understand that you see more to her than simply her physical proportions. And once again, your example in expressing acceptance and appreciation for your own body, regardless of your size, will set an example your child can follow.