Adolescent Diets

Diet With Your Child

• There are a few good reasons why an entire family should diet together: First, if you have an overweight child, chances are good that you are overweight, as well. One great way to show your child proper eating habits is to lead by example. Although many teens can drive themselves to a nearby fast food joint to indulge themselves, adolescents cannot. Therefore, if your child isn't old enough to be in high school, his poor eating habits and unhealthy lifestyle are coming from home. You can easily change a child's eating habit. You don't even have to tell him that he's on a diet. For breakfast, start your child off with a cereal that is high in fiber. For a snack, give your child a piece of fresh fruit; and for lunch, allow your child some skim milk, low-fat string cheese, a piece of fruit and low-fat, low-sodium lunch meat on a whole wheat pita bread--but skip the mayo. For dinner, get your family to sit down together to a healthy meal of grilled boneless, skinless chicken breast with the fat cut off. Add a tossed salad with light vinaigrette dressing and steamed vegetables on the side. Fad and crash diets should never be used on children; in fact, a simple low-calorie and lower-carb diet is all that's really needed.

Increase Activities

• Although a healthy diet is a great start, find some ways to increase your child's activities. Encourage your kids to play outside with neighbors and friends, get them to ride their bikes or skateboard. Enroll them into different sports at school that they are interested in, or enroll them into classes at the local YMCA or gym. You can even turn this into an opportunity to spend more time with your child by having evening walks together, playing catch or taking them to the park on the weekends. If you have a child that seems obsessed with TV or video games, set up a treadmill in front of the TV. Tell them they can only watch TV while walking on the treadmill. For those who love video games, invest in interactive fitness games.

Weight Loss Programs

• For children struggling with severe obesity, encouraging a healthier lifestyle may not be enough. Looking into weight loss programs may be necessary for kids who are at risk for health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol. There are many different programs that are made for kids and teens to help the lose weight, control their eating habits and stay active and healthy. Choose from from different diet plans, meal plans or even summer camps depending on your child's needs. Talk with your child's pediatrician before starting him on this kind of weight loss program.

Talk to a Doctor

• Grief, stress, lack of sleep, medications, puberty and medical-related issues can cause your child to gain weight. If your child is an emotional eater or eating because of the loss of a loved one, there is a good chance he is also being bullied at school for his weight issues. That bullying can cause lack of sleep and stress on your child, which can then make him turn back to food for more comfort. This vicious cycle can cause children--and adults alike--to gain an uncontrollable amount of weight. In these circumstances, enlist the help of a doctor to help your child. If your child has experienced loss or is an emotional eater, take him to a child psychologist to work out his problems from within before tackling his eating habits. For those children who have gained weight due to medical-related issues, medications or puberty, take your child to his pediatrician before starting him on a diet.