Overweight child
Beyond the physical discomfort, an overweight child is synonymous of discomfort: the mockery of comrades impacts the self-image. The psychological pain is real.
If this is the case with your child, know that there is still time to act. As a parent, you have the power to help him, step by step, lose weight.
Evaluate the situation
To begin, calculate your Body Mass Index (BMI). You will find a reliable tool here. If it turns out that your child is suffering from obesity, medical assistance is required. For an overweight child, the following tips will help effectively in the long run.
Change the power supply
To lose weight, a child requires a change of food approach, and not the imposition of any diet: a varied and balanced diet is essential for its growth. So, choose fresh, quality food cooked at home. Reduce carbohydrates, and most importantly, simple sugars.
Establish dialogue and cooperation
Establishing a benevolent dialogue with your child will help lay the groundwork for a healthy relationship to food. Involve him during the races, the preparation of meals. It will acquire the necessary confidence to appropriate this approach.
Eat healthy throughout the day
The breakfast deserves its title of “most important meal of the day”. To prevent nibbling, and therefore balance blood sugar and weight gain, it must be rich and varied, low in sugars, and have a source of protein.
Do not hesitate to serve your child an “English” breakfast: egg, wholemeal bread, fresh whole fruit (rather than juice).
To avoid children obesity, a child requires some sacrifices: forget the ease of sugary “cereals” and get up a little earlier.
To prevent gaps in lunch at the canteen, brief your child on the foods to be preferred, and those to avoid. Or concoct a balanced meal basket.
As for dinner, it is the perfect opportunity to meet up as a family around a healthy dish, and all screens off.
Sugar, this false friend of children
We often associate childhood with sweets, lollipops … well wrong! Not only do it cause overweight and cavities, but their additives can cause attention disorders. So, book them for special occasions, such as birthdays. Do the same for sodas, syrups and fruit juices; these are real sugar bombs whose effects on weight gain are proven.
Finally, carefully avoid milk compotes and desserts containing added sugars.
To reconcile pleasure and health, here are some alternatives: fresh fruits, toasted nuts, strawberries crushed in a natural yoghurt, lemonade with honey. Do not ban the cookies, but choose them of quality, and limit their quantity to taste.
Tasty alternatives
To reconcile pleasure and health, here are some alternatives: fresh fruits, toasted nuts, strawberries crushed in a natural yoghurt, lemonade with honey. Do not ban the cookies, but choose them of quality, and limit their quantity to taste.
Move together
Reducing your child’s sedentary lifestyle is essential to help him lose weight.
Limit your screen time to one hour a day.
Enjoy the weekend for dynamic activities with the family: swimming pool, walking, cycling …
After school, games at the park will allow him to work out and promote a good sleep.
The solution is in your hands
Ask yourself the right questions, as a parent, what model do you want to give to your overweight child? What could you improve in your lifestyle to convey the taste of a healthy and active life?
It’s your turn now. Do you have an overweight child? What do you do to help him/her loss weight?
