Childhood Obesity

My child isn't obese; what can I do to help prevent this from happening?

• Engage your family in a lifestyle of fitness. Discourage and limit excessive television watching, computer use, or gaming. Also discourage snacking while watching television, doing homework, and other odd times. Instead encourage playtime, family activities, and recreational programs. Try family walks, bike rides, and outdoor sports. Plan hiking, skiing, swimming, and outings that will include physical activities. Encourage your children to do set chores that include activities like raking the lawn, picking up their items, vacuuming, or anything that will get them moving.
• Teach and encourage healthy behaviors at an early age so that you are setting them up with a lifetime of healthy eating and living. Practice what you preach. If you eat take out and fast food, chances are your children do too. If you eat healthy, then your child eats healthy. If you are glued to the television while eating, it's likely your child will follow suit.
• Check into your child or adolescent's school nutritional programs; make sure they are getting healthy lunches. Also encourage your child to fully participate in the physical education classes, recess, and extracurricular sports. Try to find out if your child or adolescent's teachers are encouraging healthy eating and not rewarding your child with promises of high calorie foods.
• Make sure that the foods your family is consuming are healthy. Try to make them consist of proper portions and good choices. Avoid high caloric foods consisting of sugars or fats. Insist on healthy food preparation and cooking. Encourage full chewing of foods, and not rushing at the table.
• Don't push your child to eat more than they want to. When they want a snack, have healthy ones handy such as fruit and vegetables. Learn about proper serving sizes. Stay away from or limit fast foods.