Childhood obesity is one of the most serious health problems of today’s society, as millions of kids from all across the world are affected by it nowadays. If your child is one of them, too, you don’t have to be desperate because we’re here to help you out. Here are some useful tips on how to battle childhood obesity while getting the whole family involved in a weight-loss process, so check them out and get down to business!
First of all, make sure that the whole family eats as healthy as possible
A healthy, well-balanced diet is one of the most important aspects of dealing with childhood obesity, so make sure that the whole family embraces healthy eating habits in the first place. And what does that really mean? Well, it means that you and your child should become more educated on the foods you eat, in terms of their nutritional value and the number of calories they contain. You should start to check the nutrition label and the ingredient list of the foods your family is eating, which is the first step towards a more balanced diet in general. Besides that, the serving size of snacks and prepared meals also matters a lot, so pay attention to this aspect as well. So, instead of processed junk foods such as pizza, hamburgers, and hot dogs, you should incorporate a lot of whole grains and lean meat, as well as fresh fruits and veggies into your diet. Instead of ice cream, chocolate cake or other high-calorie desserts, you should serve fresh fruits topped with Greek yogurt. Just take one step at a time and you’ll manage to help your kid in their battle against obesity!
Encourage fitness and be more physically active together
Physical activity is another vital aspect of a weight-loss process, both for the kids and for the adults, so do your best to find the activities your child enjoys taking part in. Apart from participating in a physical education class in school, you should also encourage them to sign up for extracurricular sports at school or in the community as well. On the other hand, you can help your child engage in different activities such as cycling by deciding to ride your bike instead of driving a car for short distances. For example, you can always buy a cool folding bike that will make both the transport and the storage much easier. And guess what? Your child will love it, too! You can also go for a long walk around the neighbourhood every morning, or let your kid walk the family dog each afternoon. Using stairs instead of escalators or elevators is extremely important, too. The same goes for parking your car at the end of the parking lot and walking to the entrance of the mall or grocery store, which usually isn’t what a lot of people are willing to do. Apart from these important changes and lifestyle improvements, you should come up with an exercising schedule that would include 20-30 minutes of physical activity 4-5 times each week. This can include jogging, swimming, and many more, as well as sports like tennis, soccer, basketball, volleyball, etc. It doesn’t really matter which one you’ll pick, as long as the whole family enjoys it!
Try to modify particular behaviours
In case you weren’t aware of that fact, there are particular behaviours that led your kid to become overweight in the first place, which are exactly the behaviours that need to be modified as soon as possible. Limiting your child’s screen time is of the utmost importance here, so be sure to limit their time in front of the TV to about one or two hours every day. Apart from that, this should also include using the computer and playing video games. Even though these activities can’t make your child overweight directly, the truth is that a sedentary lifestyle encourages unhealthy habits, which is exactly what needs to be prevented. Besides that, you should ensure that your child eats their breakfast every day, without exceptions. A lot of experts claim that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and we completely agree with that claim. First of all, eating a well-balanced breakfast will give your kid enough energy for the day, helping them feel full for hours before lunch. This is one of the best ways to prevent snacking between meals, which is a bad habit that often results in childhood obesity. As for the snacks, you should definitely limit them to two snacks a day. These can include only low-calorie foods like fresh fruits and vegetables. Needless to say, high-calorie and/or high-fat foods like chips and cookies should be avoided at all costs. Of course, you need to be a good role model for your kid, so don’t expect them to eat an apple while you’re eating a slice of chocolate cake. It doesn’t go that way, so provide your child with a good example and they’ll inevitably follow. It goes for your eating habits, levels of physical activity, and quitting particular bad habits, so do it first and let your kid learn from you!
As you can see, there are a lot of amazing ways to make the whole family a part of your kid’s weight-loss process. All you have to do is to stick to our tips and guidelines and you’ll successfully fight against childhood obesity – that’s a promise!
Author Bio: Audrey Taylor was born in San Francisco, and moved to Adelaide at the age of five. Marketer researcher and social media manager on hold, full – time mommy of a cheerful two-year-old. Graduated from Queensford college, worked in a couple of marketing agencies across Australia, eager to learn more about business and share her experiences. Traveled across Europe. Her hobbies include: home decor, fashion, travel, music, old movies. Twitter: https://twitter.com/theaudreyworld
