7 Weight Loss Tips for Kids and Their Families

Here is a sure-fire list of diet dos and don'ts to help your family triumph over obesity:

1. Be a ‘healthy’ role model. The number one thing that parents can do is to be a good role model for their children, Parents so often unknowingly set their kids up for failure. If there are chips, cookies and Twinkies and no fruit or vegetables when your kids look for snacks, how can they succeed? Line your refrigerator and cabinets with fresh fruits, nuts, low-fat cheese, easy things for kids to snack on besides ‘junk food’.

In a 2000 survey conducted by the CDC, close to 80% of adults reported eating fewer than the recommended five or more servings of fruit and vegetables daily -- not good role-model behavior.

2. Be positive. Don’t tell your child to ‘lose weight’ say, 'Let's be healthy and start taking care of our bodies’. Focus on the foods you can eat, not the ones that you should limit eating. Say, 'Let's go pick out fruits and make a fruit salad,' not 'Don't eat this or that.' Instead of saying, 'We have to exercise,' say, 'Lets go to the park.' Use positive words and phrases when talking with your kid.

3. Make healthy eating a family affair. Create family meals together and for the entire family. Do not single out an overweight family member with special diet food. Your entire family can benefit form healthy eating regardless of weight.

A family that eats together, eats better, according to a recent study in the journal Archives of Family Medicine. The study showed children who report frequent family dinners have healthier diets than their peers who don't.

4. Avoid portion distortion. When serving food you must use portion control, buffet-type or family-style situations tends to promote overeating. Fill up on salads and cooked vegetables at meals and always wait 10-15 minutes before having a second helping. Second helpings should only be taken if truly hungry.

5. Start the day off right with a good breakfast. A bowl of low-sugar cereal with low-fat milk, low-fat yogurt with a granola or breakfast bar, or an English muffin with peanut butter, rather than a doughnut or muffin. A healthy breakfast will put your family on the healthy track for the rest of the day.

6. Make time for physical activity. Make physical activity a family activity. Every night after dinner in the summer, go for a half-hour walk and make it an activity that kids look forward to. If you can afford it, enroll your kids in dancing or a sporting activity that they enjoy because they need to enjoy it to keep doing it. Or just turn on some dance music and have a dance party around the house.

7. Try again. Weight loss and healthy eating is not easy. There will be times when you and your family will struggle with this new lifestyle. It is important to keep trying. Failure is certain if you are not trying.

Read more »

7 Tips to Help Your Kid Develop a Positive Self-Image

Try these 7 tips to foster optimism and resilience in your overweight child:

1) Believe in your Children. Assure your children that you are on their side and that you expect then to be the best person that they can be, although you don’t expect them to be the best at anything. No one is perfect.

2) Find other adults who believe in your children. Teachers, aunts, uncles, neighbors and friends can help you make a positive difference for you overweight child. Other adults that can see beyond the weight and also believe in your child can help your child take control of their lives.

3) Encourage your children to stay interested in activities. Let them know that their interests are valuable and deserve to be developed, whatever it is.

4) Celebrate your children’s winning experiences and help them to accept defeats graciously. Let your child know that you appreciate their efforts and positive attitude win or lose. Positive attitude and effort is for more important than victory.

5) Encourage upbeat conversations about the future. Assume they are going to college and thinking about good careers. Let your child know that you believe they are capable.

6) Be a role model for perseverance. Be sure your children hear you say that some tasks are difficult, but that you are not a quitter.

7) Facilitate family fun and laughter. A family that can joke, laugh, and lighten up their day’s with humor can help to prevent negativity and tension.

Read more »

10 Easy Ways to a ‘Healthy-Diet’ for Kids

Creating a Healthy Home can be easier than you think.

Creating a nutritionally healthy home is one of the most important steps you can take to ensure the health of your child. To start, make smart food choices, and help your child develop a positive relationship with healthy food. Your children will learn their food smarts from your example.

Here are the top 10 tips for getting children to eat healthy food:

1. Do not restrict food. Restricting food increases the risk your child may develop eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia later in life. It can also have a negative effect on growth and development. Also by restricting food you will actually increase the risk of overeating later in the day which will cause weight gain.

2. Keep healthy food at hand. Children will eat what's readily available. Keep fruit in a bowl on the counter, not buried in the crisper section of your fridge. Remember, your child can only choose foods that you stock in the house, by limiting ‘junk food’ you will, by default, teach your child how to choose healthier foods.

3. Don't label foods as "good" or "bad." Instead, tie foods to the things your child cares about, such as sports, academics and hobbies. Let your child know that lean protein such as turkey and calcium in dairy products give strength to their sports and academic performance, the antioxidants in fruits and vegetables add luster to skin and hair and the carbs in whole grains will give them energy to play.

4. Praise healthy choices. Give your children a proud smile and tell them how smart they are when they choose healthy foods. Kids thrive on positive reinforcement!

5. Don't nag about unhealthy choices. If your child chooses unhealthy foods infrequently, ignore it. However, if your child always wants fatty, fried food, redirect the choice. You might try roasting potato sticks in the oven (tossed in just a bit of oil) instead of buying french fries. Or, if your child wants candy, you might make fresh strawberries dipped in a little chocolate sauce. Too busy? Then keep naturally sweet dried fruit at home for quick snacks. With consistent effort taste buds change and soon your child will be craving healthy foods.

6. Never use food as a reward. This could create weight problems in later life. Instead, reward your children with something physical and fun -- perhaps a trip to the park or a quick game of catch.

7. Sit down to family dinners at night. If this isn't a tradition in your home, it should be. Research shows that children who eat dinners at the table with their parents have better nutrition and are less likely to get in serious trouble as teenagers. Start with one night a week, and then work up to three or four, to gradually build the habit.

8. Prepare plates in the kitchen. There you can put healthy portions of each item on everyone's dinner plate. Your children will learn to recognize correct portion sizes. Too often people go for seconds and even thirds just because the food is right there. You might notice that you need less food to feel full!

9. Give the kids some control. Ask your children to take three bites of all the foods on their plate and give it a grade, such as A, B, C, D, or F. When healthy foods - especially certain vegetables -- get high marks, serve them more often. Offer the items your children don't like less frequently. This lets your children participate in decision making. After all, dining is a family affair!

1. Consult your pediatrician. Always talk with your child's doctor before putting your child on a diet, trying to help your child gain weight, or making any significant changes in the type of foods your child eats. Never diagnose your child as too heavy, or too thin, by yourself. If weight change is recommended seek the help of a Dietitian.

Read more »

Helping Your Kids Lose Weight

If you want to help your teenage kids to lose weight, here are some tips that may prove helpful:

1. Make losing weight a family affair. Rather than just concentrating on your teen, try to adopt healthy habits as a family. Eating healthier foods at home and getting more exercise is good for the whole family. Try to encourage family members to eat more fruits, veggies and whole grains.

Prepare menus that contain healthy food groups to ensure that your family is getting all the nutrients that they need. Practice leaving junk food when you do your shopping at the grocery store. Healthy foods may sometimes cost you more, but it' is worth investing in as it concerns the health of your whole family.

2. Allow occasional treats as a break from the usual. That late-night pizza with friends or nachos at the mall doesn't need to be totally excluded from your teen's healthy-eating plan. Suggest a healthier alternative instead such as breadstick and marinara sauce instead of garlic bread dripping in butter and cheese.

You can also opt for ordering a shared snack instead of a full-size order to lessen the portions. You can let your teen know that he or she can also have control over his or her eating choices and an occasional indulgence is acceptable. A trend towards developing healthier habits is what really matters rather than banishing your kid's favorite food totally.

3. Plan fun and highly active family outings, such as regular walks at the park or weekend visits to a local recreation center. Such activities can greatly help keep your kids stay active. And not only that, such activities can also be a great way for the whole family to bond and enjoy each one's company.

4. Be positive. With your kids being overweight, their feelings should also be put into consideration. How they feel about themselves can affect their motivation to lose weight. As a parent, you can actually influence how your kids will feel about themselves.

You must help them realize that being overweight doesn't inevitably lead to a lifetime of having low self-esteem. Your acceptance of their condition is critical. Try to listen to your teen's concerns. Provide positive comment on his or her efforts, skills and accomplishments. You must always make it clear that your love and concern is unconditional and that it is not dependent on weight loss.

This will make them more secure as well as confident in trying to motivate himself or herself from losing weight. You can help your teen learn healthy ways of being more open in express his or her feelings.

5. Eat breakfast. This is usually a thing that is lightly taken in many families. But breakfast can really help your teen from keeping off those extra pounds. It may take some constant urging for your teen to get up early for breakfast, but always bear in mind that it is important.

A well-balanced nutritious breakfast at the start of the day will jump-start your teen's metabolism. This meal will be able to give him or her energy to face the day ahead. Even better, feeling full each morning before going out of the house may keep your teen from eating too much during the rest of the day.

These are just a few of the many things that you can do to help your teen from getting rid of excess pounds and keeping it off. It may take a bit of work on your part. But the rewards can be seen in knowing that your kids are learning to live a healthier lifestyle and grow and develop into healthy adults.

Read more »