10 Tips for Parents Concerned About Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity has become the matter of concern for the parents these days. Fatty diets, bad eating habits, and unhealthy lifestyle contribute to the childhood obesity. The epidemic of obesity not only brings with itself the unmanageable weight of the child; it also brings with itself chances of diabetes, low self-esteem, depression and various other health issues. Parents can follow the below mentioned tips to prevent childhood obesity:

1. Lessen the intake of sugar and focus on providing your child with a calcium-rich diet.

2. Make your child aware about the obesity and the problems that obese people have to face. Right from the start, instill good eating habits in your child. If from the start itself, the child is indulged in unhealthier lifestyle and junk food then probably it would be tough to stop him/her from eating fast food.

3. Family participation is requisite as the child shouldn’t feel deprived of anything. When you begin to make changes in the diet, don’t make those changes in your child’s diet only; instead inculcate those changes in your diet too. Obviously! You also won’t like someone eat chocolate in front of you when you are on a diet. So, the whole family should be a part of the plan and must switch to a healthier diet.

4. The easiest way to cut down your food and watch your diet is to remove serving dishes.

5. Go to the market with your child and propel your child to try new and interesting fruits. You never know kiwis, which your child was not aware of may become his favorite in the future.

6. One sneaky way to reduce fat, as well as sugar intake in children, is by bringing home, reduced sugar versions of cereal brands that are much more palatable. Look for cereals in which low-fat cheese or mayo has been used.

7. To curb the appetite of your child, give him soup to drink. Soup keeps the appetite full and is also liked by the kids. Broth-based soup is liked by every child.

8. Avoid bringing fast food or snacks home. Replace those meals with cornflakes and low-fat snacks.

9. Set mini goals for your child. Ask him to lose weight and give him choices such as when leaving for school, instead of offering cookie or chocolate, ask him to take fruits with him. Drastic and sudden changes are not that easy to entail in life, where small changes do make great differences.

10. Consult your pediatrician and ask him about your kid’s weight. Your pediatrician will tell you whether your child is actually overweight or not. You can also follow specially designed weight reduction programs for children like The Shapedown Program.

Therefore, these are the 10 tips that can surely help you prevent child obesity and proffer a healthy lifestyle to your child.