Dietary Guidelines for Children

Dietary Guidelines for Children

If you have a child who is significantly overweight for his or her age, you must make the necessary efforts and take the necessary steps to ensure that they shed those pounds. Consult with your child's doctor about the best course of action that will also protect their health. Remove the juices and pop. Allowing your children to become comatose television, computer, or video game zombies is the worst thing you can do. Get them out there and active. They are burning calories while playing, which is a huge help in your children's dieting process.

It is difficult to watch in today's world as so many children literally overburden their bodies at such young ages by being overweight. These children simply cannot run, jump, or play with the other kids because their bodies will not allow it. Despite our best efforts to shield these children from the self-esteem issues that often accompany obesity, dieting is almost a necessity for them.

If you have a child who is significantly overweight for his or her age, you must make the necessary efforts and take the necessary steps to ensure that they shed those pounds in order to live a life that is as close to normal as possible. The first step, however, is to consult with your child's doctor about the best course of action that will also protect your child's health.

To put it bluntly, if you do not make efforts to assist your child in losing weight, you are endangering his or her health. We don't let our kids play in the street, we don't let them run around with knives, so why would we let them commit suicide by Twinkie? If you have an overweight child, the following dietary advice should help both you and them.

First and foremost, do not use food as a punishment or a reward. Food is a factor in your children's problems, but you don't have to use it against them. Instead, introduce them to healthier options. Do not keep junk in the house, and do not allow them to buy lunch at school. Pack their school lunches so you know what they're eating. If you don't give them junk food, they can't have it at home, and you can work to make sure they can't get junk food when they leave the house.

Instead of junk food, incorporate healthy snacks into your family's eating plan. Healthy snacks for your children include fresh fruit, cut up vegetables, nuts, and frozen yogurt. When in doubt, consult the food pyramid, but keep an eye on the calories. For the best results, you want your children to eat a well-balanced diet while avoiding junk food and sweets.

Remove the juices and pop. This may be a major undertaking in your household, but the most valuable gift you can give your child is a deep and abiding appreciation for water. Water fills their stomachs and keeps them hydrated for the additional activities you should incorporate into their routines.

Encourage them to learn to dance, participate in a sport, or simply run around the yard. Allowing your children to become comatose television, computer, or video game zombies is the worst thing you can do. Get them out there and active. This is beneficial in two ways. First and foremost, they are not eating if they are outside having fun. Second, they are burning calories while playing, which is a huge help in your children's dieting process.

As your child loses weight, you should notice a significant difference in not only how he or she carries himself or herself, but also in how he or she interacts with others. As the pounds drop and the teasing at school stops, your child's self-esteem will be restored and renewed.

If you are at a loss as to how to help your child lose weight, there are camps that are specifically designed to deal with weight issues and build self-esteem in children ages 7 to 19. One of these camps might be just what you're looking for. Another thing to think about is setting a good example. If you do not eat junk food, are physically active, and do not engage in emotional overeating, your child will not learn or be reinforced by those behaviors.