Newborn parents soon realize that their baby’s weight and length are an essential part of a visit to the doctor. That’s because the measurements of a child tell us a lot about their overall wellbeing. This is also true of older children and adolescents. A healthy body weight appropriate for your children’s height and age remains a significant indicator of overall health.
Unfortunately, our society has developed some unhealthful ideas about weight and some equally unhealthful food and exercise habits. This article hopes to provide some common sense advice for parents on achieving a healthy weight.
The Body Mass Index (BMI) is the best way to measure your weight to your height. There are many appropriate BMI values. Different people have different bone structures and different degrees of muscular development. Maintaining a BMI within the prescribed range is one of the most important health goals.
Goals:
For children: Body Mass Index (BMI) of 5-85 percent for children
For adults or children who have finished growing up: BMI 18-25
Here are several ways to help children maintain healthy body weight:
1. Help kids stay active
In addition to having fun with friends, regular physical exercise has several health benefits, including:
- Strengthening bones
- Decreasing blood pressure
- Reducing stress and anxiety
- Increasing self-esteem
- Helping with weight management
Children between 3 and 5 years of age should be active during the day. Children and teenagers aged 6 to 17 should be physically active for at least 60 minutes per day. Include aerobic activity, which is something that makes your hearts beat faster. Often include bone-strengthening exercises such as running or jumping. Also, include muscle-strengthening activities such as climbing and push-ups.
Remember, the children are imitating adults. Start adding physical exercise to your schedule and inspire your child to join you.
2. Healthy eating habits to help Children Maintain Healthy Body Weight
At first, children should be provided with a range of foods from various food groups every day:
- Carbohydrates. Feed with the recommended servings of rice, cereals, or tubers, preferably whole grains. These will give them the nutrition they need.
- Protein. Provide them with various protein sources, such as beef, poultry, fish, or eggs, and plant-based sources such as legumes and beans, to develop and grow.
- Milk. Milk is very healthy and good for building strong bones and teeth. Provide them with sufficient milk daily and allow them to drink it in a number of ways, e.g. milkshake or with cereals, pudding, and custards. Give them full cream milk, not low fat milk, skimmed milk, or sweetened condensed milk.
- Fruits and vegetables. With fruits and vegetables, colors ensure that children get the vitamins and minerals they need. Focus on providing them with different-colored fruits and vegetables, like dark leafy vegetables.
3. Fruits are also a perfect choice for nutrient-dense snacks
Another important thing to remember is to teach (and practice!) healthy eating habits. This ensures that meals should be consumed on a fixed schedule. Skip as it would eventually lead to consuming a larger meal or snacking to make up for it.
If your child is hungry between the main meals, make a nutritious snack. These include fruit, a glass of milk, steamed corn on the cob, steamed pau, etc.
Limit the child’s calorie-dense fast foods, such as burgers, hot dogs, nuggets, or sausages. Encourage them to consume water instead of sugar-sweetened beverages.
4. Limit the calorie-rich temptations
Reducing the availability of high-fat, high-sugar, or salty snacks will help your children develop healthier eating habits. Just encourage your kids to eat these foods rarely, because they’re going to be treated! Examples of easy-to-prepare, low-fat, and low-sugar snacks of 100 calories or fewer are as follows:
- 1 cup of carrots, broccoli, or bell pepper with 1 tbsp of hummus
- A medium apple or banana
- 1 cup blueberries or grapes
- One-fourth cup of tuna wrapped in a leaf of lettuce
- A few homemade kale chips baked in the oven
5. Don’t skip the breakfast
Breakfast kicks starting your metabolism, burning calories from the get-go. It gives you the ability to do something during the day. People who skip breakfast often get so hungry that they’ll eat more later. So they get more calories than they would have if they had breakfast. In reality, people who skip breakfast appear to have higher BMIs than those who eat breakfast.
6. Should not forbid food or use food as a reward
Forbidding food only raises the child’s desire for food. Instead of saying no to your child’s favorite meal, limit the size of the serving. Using non-food rewards for positive behavior, such as stickers, or encourage your child to play with a friend.
7. Reduces sedentary time
The quiet time for reading and writing is fine. Limit the time children watch television, play video games to no more than 2 hours a day. The American Academy of Pediatrics does not recommend tv viewing for children under 2 years. Instead, inspire children to find fun activities for family members or on their own that simply require more activity.
8. Watch out for distortion of the portion
Big portions are piled with extra calories that induce weight gain. So pick smaller portions (or share portions of the restaurant) and opt for water or low-fat milk instead of soda.
9. Enjoy a rainbow of fruit and vegetables
Many children over 4 years of age need at least 1 1⁄2 cups of fruit and 1 1⁄2 to 2 1⁄2 cups of vegetables a day. Serve juicy, crunchy, tasty fruit and vegetables at every meal and snack. Fresh, frozen, dry, and canned—all sorts of products contribute to good health. You will make the produce fun by serving frozen grapes, vegetable kebabs, or strawberries. Few kids don’t like bitter or highly flavored vegetables. So, keep things simple by serving steamed broccoli or cauliflower. Expand fresh vegetables and dip choices by steaming green beans and zucchini. And serve them cold along with baby carrots, celery, and cucumbers.
10. Keep your focus on improving health rather than losing weight
Stop common parenting traps such as micro-managing every bite of your infant, limiting calories. Talking too much about calories, overweight, dieting, or dragging the scales daily will backfire, as can negative comments about weight, shape, or body image (including your own). Instead, emphasize how consuming nutritious food and participating in physical exercise helps people thrive in their minds, bodies, and souls.
11. Offer emotional support
A child needs to feel accepted, cherished, special and important—regardless of shape or size. According to the National Weight Control Information Network, children’s thoughts about themselves can be formed by how their parents think about them. Listen to your child’s weight concerns, provide compassion, and work together to find solutions.
The Bottom Line: Children Maintaining Healthy Body Weight
For example, teaching healthy habits will set them up for a lifetime of healthy eating and living. And again, the ultimate goal should be to achieve something positive, not to correct something negative. It is best to focus on the health importance of developing a healthier lifestyle, not on weight. The rewards for becoming healthier are tremendous. If you help children learn healthy habits today, they’re going to carry them through a lifetime.
