Some parents are beside themselves with how to control their son or daughter’s weight. Others think it’s baby fat, and they’ll grow out of it. Still others think that their child is just big for his or her age.
Most parents can’t tell normal weight from overweight. Here is a free Body Mass Index calculator, with instructions for kids and for adults (they’re different!). As parents lose weight, so do their kids–if the whole family is involved.
Simple syrup: look on the label for “high fructose corn syrup,” “fructose corn syrup,” and “corn syrup” in drinks, candy bars, crackers and tomato sauce(!). These sugars stimulate appetite, and contribute to over-eating. And both kids’ foods and adult foods are loaded with them.
A study done in New York of obese 8- to 12-year-old children and their families shows that once families know, if they have expert guidance, families can get it. Overweight kids tend to have overweight parents…not always, but more than average.
In cases in which lifestyle changes stick, follow-up is essential. An Ohio study of 163 kids in a pediatric obesity program showed difficulty with adequate insurance coverage (53%), the child’s desire to leave the program (50%), and the program taking too much time (32%) as reasons kids and families leave.
Solution? Find an expert that will hold you, the parent, accountable for your own weight loss program. Model that for your kids. Invest in yourself so you can invest in them. It works!
