1. Do Not Solely Focus on the Overweight Child
Don't single out the overweight child; instead, create an environment of support and change. Have the whole family eat the same healthful foods and cut back on fast food. Nothing is worse than being forced to eat a diet meal while everyone else at the table enjoys your favorite foods. Rather than providing your overweight child with special food, make the point that everyone is trying something new tonight. Consider keeping serving dishes away from the table and downsizing your dinner plates, two changes that can prevent both kids and adults from overeating.2. Teach Your Kids About Better Choices, Portion Size and Food Labels
Take your children grocery shopping and talk to them about making smart choices among the many varieties of foods that are available at the store. Make a point to teach your kids how to read food labels and to pay special attention to serving sizes and total number of servings on the packaging of their favorite foods. Let them pick out a new fruit or vegetable to try at least once a week. Better still, let them help you prepare the new food (or watch you do so, if they're still a bit too young) so they can learn healthy cooking techniques that will serve them well in the future.
3. Talk to Your Kids About Emotional Eating and the Sense of Hunger
Many of us tend to give in to emotional eating, and kids may eat in response to feelings such as sadness and anxiety, too. It's important to help your child avoid eating for these reasons because emotional eating is a tough habit to break. Talk to your children about whether or not they're really hungry when they want a snack; you may find they'll admit they're not if asked outright. Discuss why eating as a result of boredom or anxiety isn't a good habit. If your child does eat emotionally, it's even more important that you choose the snacks you keep on hand carefully and limit or eliminate highly-processed, high-calorie foods such as candy, cookies, and snack cakes. Remember, if it's not in the house, your kids can't eat it.4. Cut Back on Beverages That Provide Empty Calories
Kids drink a lot of empty calories, meaning they drink beverages that provide few if any actual nutrients, but plenty of calories, such as juice, sport drinks, and soda pop. The best way to prevent weight gain from drinking too many calories is to make water the main beverage for the entire family. Most of us don't drink enough water, and even mild dehydration can lead to problems such as headaches or feeling groggy. Besides, drinks such as soda and coffee actually contribute to dehydration. (Tip: Try adding a little fruit juice to some seltzer water when the kids want a special drink.)5. Trim TV Time
Research has shown that the more TV kids watch, the more likely they are to be overweight. One of the best ways to get your kids to watch less TV is to make sure the family sits down for dinner together with the TV turned off. It's not unusual for kids today to skip meals to watch TV, or even eat while they're playing video games. The family meal will bring everyone closer and provide the opportunity for them to learn by example as they observe your eating habits. Limit everyone's TV time (even your own), and replace it with activities that get the whole family moving or doing something together, such as playing tag or board games. You May Also Like...How to Help Your Overweight Tween
