7 Weight-Loss Strategies for Children and Their Families
Here's a list of diet dos and don'ts that will assist your family to overcome obesity:
1. Be an example of good health
The most important thing parents can do for their children is to set a positive example for them. Parents frequently inadvertently put their children up for failure. How can your kids succeed if there are chips, cookies, and Twinkies available but no fruit or vegetables? Fill your refrigerator and cabinets with fresh fruits, nuts, low-fat cheese, and other healthy alternatives to junk food for your kids to munch on. In a CDC poll from 2000, nearly 80% of adults said they ate fewer than the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day — not a good role model behavior.
2. Be optimistic
Rather than telling your youngster to lose weight, say, "Let's be healthy and start caring for our body." Concentrate on the things you can consume rather than the ones you should avoid. Instead of saying, 'We have to exercise,' instead, 'Let's go select some fruits and create a fruit salad.' Use positive words and phrases while speaking with your child.
3. Make eating well a family affair
Make family meals for the whole family together. Do not provide a special diet food to an overweight family member. Healthy nutrition can benefit the entire family, regardless of weight. According to a recent study published in the journal Archives of Family Medicine, a family that eats together eats better. Children who report regular family dinners have healthier diets than their peers, according to the study.
4. Avoid distorting the portions
When providing food, portion control is essential; buffet-style or family-style scenarios encourage overeating. At meals, eat plenty of salads and cooked vegetables and wait 10-15 minutes before eating another helping. Only eat second helpings if you are actually hungry.
5. A delicious breakfast is a great way to start the day
Instead of a doughnut or muffin, try a bowl of low-sugar cereal with low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt with granola or a breakfast bar, or an English muffin with peanut butter. A nutritious breakfast will set the tone for the rest of the day for your family.
6. Make physical activity a priority
Make exercise a family affair. In the summer, go for a half-hour stroll every night after dinner and make it a fun pastime for the kids. Enroll your children in dance or a sporting activity that they enjoy if you can afford it because they must enjoy it in order to continue doing it. Alternatively, turn on some dance music and throw a house party.
7. Please try again
It's not easy to lose weight and eat healthily. You and your family will face challenges as you adjust to your new lifestyle. It's critical to keep trying. Failure is inevitable if you do not try.