Establishing Healthy Habits With Kids
June 5, 2013Editor's note: This article is part two of the previously published article Childhood Obesity: One Child at A Time
Childhood obesity is a serious matter. Here are some tips for parents and caregivers to help establish healthy habits with kids:
→ Parents should choose what children can eat. That means what foods and drinks are in the home, what foods and drinks are served at meals and snacks, and what restaurants they go to. Among those foods, parents should allow kids to choose whether they eat at all and how much to eat.
→ Fruits and vegetables, as compared to high calorie snack foods (often high fat and high sugar) should be readily available in the home.
→ Serve and eat foods from each food group.
→ Use small portions - child portions are usually very small, particularly compared to adult portions. More food can always be added.
→ Bake, broil, roast or grill meats instead of frying.
→ Limit use of high calorie, high fat and high sugar sauces and spreads.
→ Use low-fat or nonfat and lower calorie dairy products for milk, yogurt and ice cream.
→ Support joining in play, sports and other physical activity at school, church or community leagues.
→ Be active as a family - Go on a walk, bike ride, swim or hike together. Limit TV time.
→ Avoid eating while watching TV. TV viewers may eat too much, too fast, and are influenced by the foods and drinks that are advertised.
→ Replace high-sugared drinks, especially sodas, with water and/or low-fat milk.
→ Limit fruit juice intake to two servings or less per day (one serving = ¾ cup) - Many parents allow their children unlimited intake of fruit juice (100%) because of the accompanying vitamins and minerals. However, children who drink too much fruit juice may be consuming excess calories.
→ Encourage free play in young children and provide environments that allow children to play indoors and outdoors.
→ Role model through actions healthy dietary practices, nutritional snacks, and lifestyle activities. Avoid badgering children, restrictive feeding, labeling foods as "good" or "bad," and using food as a reward.
Here’s some other suggestions you can do to make a difference for children in a bigger scale:
* Help parents, teachers, coaches, and others who influence youth to discuss health habits, not body size or weight, as part of their efforts to control kids from being overweight.
* Enlist policymakers from local, state, national organizations and schools to support a healthy lifestyle for all children.
* Become involved in your local school district to use your voice for healthy school lunches and fitness programs.
* Support and advocate for social marketing intended to promote healthy food choices and increased physical activity. The cause of childhood obesity is widespread. While it may take a village to make changes, it can begin with you — one child at a time. Do your part to promote healthy childhood lifestyles for those kids in your life and beyond.
Read part one of this article here.
 | ABOUT THE AUTHOR Cathy Wilson, PCC, BCC, had RNY surgery in 2001 and lost 147 pounds. Cathy is a regular contributor to the OH Blog and authored the "Mind Matters" column in ObesityHelp Magazine. Cathy is a licensed pilot and loves flying. She is a member of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) and the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC).Read more articles by Cathy! |
