Tips to Help Overweight Children Lose Weight

Obesity in children is incredibly common today.  In fact, a small but growing number of  children reach a weight that qualifies them as obese before they are even old enough to enter school. 

While playing the blame game gives everyone somewhere else to point the finger, the bottom line is that as parents, we need to be aware of every part of the process that creates and encourages obesity before we can begin to treat it. Many of the behaviors that end in a child becoming overweight can begin in our own homes. Let’s take a look at several easy tips to help any child lose weight.

Offer Better Foods
For many parents, fast foods and pizza are offered because they are great time savers.  Unfortunately, they are incredibly unhealthy and can create numerous health problems as the child grows… and grows.  To prevent and treat obese children, you need to find snacks and meals that are healthier.  Offer veggies and dips, buy organic pizzas topped with vegetables, or even bake some thick-cut steak fries.  There are plenty of delicious foods you can make at home that children will love, which take just as much time as preparing the higher-fat alternative.

Make Them Exercise
Telling children to run laps or do pushups is likely to be met with anything from anger to blatant refusal, but this doesn’t mean you can’t get your kids to exercise.  Purchase a Nintendo Wii and buy only motion games, or set up family sports and activities in the backyard every weekend. 

If you have a large backyard then take your kids to the toy store and ask them to each pick out a playset item, such as a jungle gym hoop tunnel, a slide or even a swingset.  If you don’t have the money to buy new things, make a rope-swing out of a tree, an old car tire and a knotted rope. Use your creativity to make playing fun, and your kids will love to do it.

Limit Television Time
Television can be a rich learning experience if the right shows are on, but no amount of educational programming substitutes for getting out in the world and moving around.  Remember that TV is not an appropriate playmate, and send your kids outside every day.  Television time should be limited if you want to prevent your children from having weight problems.

Start by telling the kids that they can choose between either halving their TV time or cutting the plug off the set. They will complain less if they feel they have some say in the choice.  Like a trip to the dentist, this step will hurt but will improve their health no end in the long run.