Activate Your Life

According to BeActiveKids.org, encouraging a child who is already overweight takes special consideration.

The following list might help parents with overweight children push their kids in the right direction, without encouraging unhealthy behaviors such as eating disorders. Parents must also be careful to not hurt their child’s delicate self esteem.

Encourage an Overweight Child

My child is overweight…What should I do?

• Do give your child lots of love and affection.
• Do expect your child to grow into his or her weight.
• Do have regular meals and snacks.
• Do serve the same food to all family members. – Don’t put your child on a low-calorie diet.
• Do let your child decide how much to eat.
• Do have snack foods such as graham crackers, frozen fruit-juice bars, string cheese, low-fat yogurt, frozen low-fat yogurt and fruit.
• Do encourage your child to be more active by playing outside, swinging, running and playing with toys such as balls, Frisbees and jump ropes.
• Do plan family activities such as going to parks and playgrounds, hiking and swimming.

• Don’t pressure your child to be thin.
• Don’t expect your child to lose weight.
• Don’t let your child eat at other times.
• Don’t limit the amount of food your child can eat or make your child eat all the food on his or her plate.
• Don’t have lots of high-calorie snacks such as potato chips, corn chips, cookies, cakes, pies, ice cream, cupcakes, candy, donuts, granola bars and soft drinks.
• Don’t let your child spend a lot of time watching TV or playing video games.
• Don’t let your family become “couch potatoes.”