How Do We Help Kids Achieve a Healthy Weight?

By Suzanne Brewster

We are familiar with the statistics: 14% of U.S. children are overweight, up from 6% in 1988(1). Each year, more American children are killed by obesity than by gun violence(2).

We have heard these numbers on the nightly news, read them in magazines, and have seen the evidence in our friends and neighbors, on the playgrounds of our local schools, and even in our own children and grandchildren. The issue — our young people are becoming increasingly obese — has been identified. The question is, what do we do about it?

You can make a difference with a child struggling with his or her weight. The help I speak of does not, in my opinion, come from lecturing, deprivation, or turning into the “Food Police.”

Such techniques do not work with children because they don’t work for adults. The moment you deny a child or adult something, that very thing becomes the desired prize. Using scare tactics has been proven ineffective as a successful approach in managing obesity.

Yet this is the approach many doctors, healthcare professionals, and the media tend to take when addressing the obesity epidemic. We need to educate and empower parents with tools to help examine how the family got to this point and how to find a different ending to this story.

Without passing judgment, we need to get to the root of why a child has become obese, and then address the responsibility both the child and parent have at meal time. In this way, we can help our children regain control over their weight, and, ultimately, their health.

A good place to start is with a conversation, the goal of which is to formulate a plan that revolves around nutrition and increased activity.

First, ask your children if they are skipping meals, especially breakfast. If so, ask why. If it is because there is not enough time to prepare or eat a meal, talk about how to solve that problem.

Discuss whether it would be helpful to develop an eating schedule where snacks and meals would be spaced three hours apart.

Talk about when and why your children eat. Is there a time when they eat to make themselves feel better or to ease boredom? Discuss what other steps they can take to make themselves feel good.

Look closely at your child’s diet to check for balance. Scrutinize the ingredient list and pay attention to the grams of sugar that are in processed foods and the mix between carbohydrates and sugars. Eliminate or drastically reduce consumption of foods containing “high fructose corn syrup.”

Gaining control over obesity is not all about food. You have to gradually increase your child’s activity level. Exercise videos, elastic bands, and a stability ball are good examples of inexpensive, easy-to-use, in-home equipment. Signing your children up for softball, soccer, or some other community-oriented, non-competitive sport is another idea.

The US Surgeon General recommends 30 to 60 minutes of movement a day. It can come in three 10-minute walks or even a series of household chores.

Never dismiss the power of walking. Walking is one of the best things you can do with a child. Begin by making a commitment to walk at least three to four days a week. Take advantage of local parks, trails, and walking clubs.

Use common sense. Be a role model for the children in your life. Make healthy food choices, maintain an active lifestyle, and remember: A healthy weight is a journey, not a destination.

Suzanne Brewster, RD, M.A.T, specializes in the management of diabetes and childhood obesity.