7 Sure-Fire Ways to
Help Prevent Childhood Obesity
By Maryann Tomovich Jacobsen, MS, RD
1. Help children preserve their internal regulators: Children are born with the ability to regulate food intake. That means they eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full. But when they are pushed to eat more or less than they want, they begin to lose this precious resource.
The best way to help children maintain their ability to regulate food intake is to let them decide how much or whether to eat at all. As a parent you decide what, when and where of eating. This is the Ellyn Satter Division of Responsibility of feeding and it works like a charm.
2. Let children serve themselves: According to a 2007 study published in Obesity children served bigger portions ate 29% more than those who selected their own meal size. Research tells us this is true for adults as well – large portions equal a higher consumption of calories.
So when it comes to meals, especially dinner, put the food on the table and let all the family members pick and choose how much and what to eat. That way, everyone will be less likely to overeat.
3. Limit TV time: Studies show that the more children watch TV, the more overweight they are likely to be. So stick to the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations and limit TV to 2 hours or less every day. And don’t forget to serves meals and snacks at the kitchen table, not in front of the TV.
4. Provide opportunities for activity: Give your child plenty of opportunities to be
active. Go to the park, spend
summers at the beach, take regular dips in the pool and go for bike rides
around your neighborhood.
5. Keep the food coming: Kids need to know they can rely on predictable meals and snacks. When parents limit how much a child eats at mealtime or fail to provide regular meals, children can fixate on food and eat more when it’s available.
Provide children with consistent meals including foods such as fruits and vegetables but also empty-calorie foods in moderation (e.g., chips with a sandwich and cookies with milk). Instead of restricting certain items, teach your kids how to eat all types of foods sensibly. See My Pyramid (http://www.mypyramid.gov/KIDS/index.html) for meal planning tips.
6. Check liquid calories: As children get older they tend to drink less milk and more sweetened
beverages. When it comes to juice,
stick to 100% fruit juice and keep their intake to 4-6 ounces if they are under
6 years of age and 8-12 ounces if older.
Children under 8 years of age need 2 cups of milk per day and older
children need 3 (cheese and yogurt count too). Get in the habit of providing milk and juice with meals and
water in between. Make soda or
other non-juice sweetened beverages occasional.
7. Be a Healthy Role Model: As you probably are
already aware, children tend to follow in their parents foot steps when it
comes to eating and exercise habits.
But that doesn’t mean you have to be perfect. Instead, follow the advice given here – tune into your
hunger signals, forget the big portions, limit TV time, look for opportunities
to be active, provide yourself with balanced meals and snacks and watch out for
liquid calories (like that caramel macchiato from Starbucks).
And most of all, forget dieting and forbidding food from your diet. Show your children that food can be enjoyable as well as nutritious. And hopefully, you’ll be successful at preventing unnecessary weight gain for the whole family.
References
Position of the American Dietetic Association: Nutrition Guidance for Healthy Children Ages 2 to 11 years. 2008.
Fisher JO. Effects of age on children’s intake of large and self-selected portions. Obesity. 2007;15(2):403-12.
