Combatting Childhood Obesity--Tips for Parents

Childhood obesity is running rampant in the United States. Honestly, who's to blame? Media? Fast food? Parents? The kids, themselves? While logic forces us to immediately rule out the children, many parents deal with their child's obesity in such a way that sends clear messages to the child that this is their fault. Attitudes such as these can damage your child well into adulthood. This is a situation that must be handled delicately and with much thought but should not be ignored. Here are a few steps:

1. Do not say the word "diet" to your child. Don't even think it. Millions of adults spend their lives on a cycle of dieting and bingeing, leading us to our current epidemic of overweight adults. This is NOT about your child's apperance, it's about his current health and his health in the future.

2. Be the example. Don't just speak it, do it. If you want your child to be active, go outside with him and play catch, go on a bike ride, be his soccer coach. Show your child that physical activity is important to YOU. I guarantee this is a lesson he'll take with him for the rest of his life.

3. Talk about nutrition in a casual way. Children don't know about calories, fat grams, low GI index, minerals, B vitamins. All they know is what tastes good. While you're sitting down to eat sweet potatoes with dinner, talk about the health benefits of sweet potatoes and why they're a better choice than mashed potatoes slathered in butter. Again, make it CASUAL. This is not a health lesson, it's a sharing of ideas.

4. Understand why your child may be reluctant to participate in sports or other outdoor activities. As your child begins to gain weight, he slowly realizes he can't run like the other children, he's not as limber or cooridinated because of the extra weight and, more than likely, he's been exposed to teasing because of his weight. Do not judge your child as lazy. Realize it is emotionally easier to stay indoors, in an environment he can control, rather than risk being singled out and made to feel inadequate.

5. Realize this will be a slow, steady process. The last thing you want is for your child to lose ten pounds in a month. This will IN NO WAY solve your child's problem. Ideally, your child shouldn't know if he's losing weight or not. Weight is NOT the issue, your goal should be creating a set of habits and a sense of awareness about keeping his body healthy.

6. Whose fault is it anyways? I'm sorry, parent, but a huge amount of responsibility falls on your shoulders. Your child doesn't pull into the fast food lane, you do. Your child doesn't take his ATM card to the grocery store and stock up on sugary snacks and pizza. Chances are, your busy lifestyle has brought these convenience foods into your child's life and it's time to get them out. Don't go cold turkey--your child won't understand this and see it as a punishment. Make small, subtle changes in your child's diet. Remember--ultimately, you control what your child eats.

7. Praise your child. And I don't mean about taking off those extra pounds. The most damaging part of childhood obesity is what it will do to your child's self-esteem. He will learn he's different from everyone else, he's somehow inferior and he won't understand why but it's a lesson he will carry with him throughout his life. Shower your child with love and praise, combat what the world tells him--that there is something inherently wrong with him because he's overweight. Encourage your child to learn new things, explore hobbies and find ways to bolster his self-confidence.