How to Prevent Obesity in Your Child if it Runs in the Family

User Ratings:

We do understand that obesity can run in families, but with U.S. statistics showing that 64 percent of adult Americans are overweight or obese, genetics alone do not explain the overwhelming rise we are seeing in this statistic. Parental obesity more than doubles the risk that a young child will become obese as an adult. In older children and teenagers, obesity in parents starts to count less as a predictor for body weight than their own weight. Studies show that 41 percent of obese seven year-olds become obese adults and that 70 percent of obese 10 to 13 year-olds become obese adults. However, genes should not determine your child's destiny, and if a combination of a healthy diet and physical activity are maintained, his destiny to be overweight may be changed. For a child with a family history of obesity, prevention is the best course.

The first thing to do is to examine your own eating habits and physical activity patterns. Challenge the whole family to improve their eating and increase their activity. Children model their parents, and this is the first place to start when trying to help your own child. Keep a log of your eating and physical activity, and don't be overwhelmed. Start with small improvements in your diet and increase your activity level gradually. Over time, these improvements may lead to significant change. Do you bring soda into the home? What type of portion size do you offer at meals? What type of snacks do you choose? Are you getting five to seven servings of fruits and vegetables daily? How many hours of television do you watch a day? How much daily exercise do you get? Do you read nutrition labels? If you need help in this area, seek support with a nutritionist or dietitian, and look for classes, read books or seek Internet information. Keep yourself educated in this area.

Here is a checklist of things that may help your toddler establish a healthy weight:

• Activity
  • Make sure your toddler is getting a good 30 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity every day.
  • Limit television time, and either opt for channels without commercials or use videos. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no TV under two years and no more than one to two hours a day of combined screen time for older kids.
  • Don't place a television or computer in your child's bedroom.
  • Never allow eating in front of the television.
  • Have your child sit for meals and not graze while walking around or playing.
• In the home
  • Make healthier choices while grocery shopping – choose 100 percent juice like NESTLÉ JUICY JUICE and limit to no more than four to six ounces a day. Find healthier snack choices like whole grain crackers or pretzels.
  • Use less fat and butter in your cooking.
  • Avoid fried foods, heavy cream and butter sauces.
  • Use low or non-fat dairy products.
  • Eat meals together as much as possible.
  • Store sweets and treats out of sight.
  • Keep cut fruits and vegetables handy in the refrigerator.
  • Watch portion sizes for the family; make the rule that no one gets second helpings until everyone is done with firsts.
  • For meals, make extra amounts of the vegetables or serve a fruit salad. Make smaller amounts of the main meal or starchy foods to serve.
  • Portion out snacks into a small bowl rather than bringing out the box or bag of the snack food, allowing unlimited consumption.
• Eating out
  • Share adult meals with your kids instead of always having to use the "kid menu."
  • Choose foods that are cooked in ways that don't add fat – bake, roast, grill or poach.
  • Watch the sodas! Unlimited refills for sodas with kids' meals add a lot of extra sugar.
  • Choose healthier restaurants. Baked fish tacos, roasted chicken and teriyaki chicken are going to be healthier choices than chicken nuggets and fries.
• Be a good role model
  • Love yourself and your child no matter what shape or size. No teasing or saying things about others' weights.
  • Never focus on asking if your child loses weight (unless you are working with a health professional, and this is needed for medical reasons). For most kids, if they would just maintain their current weight, they will "grow into it" as they gain height.
  • Offer a fruit or vegetable to your child that you don't even like. Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean that they won't.
  • Remember that taking care of your own health is a good reflection on how you want to take care of your own child!