Obesity in children has been a major topic on news stations everywhere lately. Before I taught school, I actually thought that the topic was exaggerated a little. Then I started to take notice. It has been sad to me to see the amount of kids who are overweight or obese.
I know how the kids feel, but I hope this article will enlighten some parents. You see, I was a fat kid. My mom, I guess, innocently enough always had a way of pointing it out. She too was fat as a kid, she would say. Anyhow I was fat, but when I entered high school and began to be active, I was normal. The problem was because of my upbringing and perception of myself, no matter how hard I worked, I never saw that I wasn’t fat.
I think parents for whatever reason: embarrassment, concern, etc., put too much pressure on kids and in turn, damage their son’s or daughter’s self-esteem. So I wanted to share some personal tips from what hurt me to help your child lose the weight and be who they can be without hurting them.
Don’t lecture or promote dieting
When kids are forced to go on a diet or hear that you think they should, it damages their self-esteem. If your child is serious about losing weight and ask for your help, offer materials or advice. Don’t tell them not to eat this or that! It only tempts them more. Don’t tell them that if they were five pounds thinner, they would feel better. Think about your words. Which brings me to the second point.
Model good eating habits
My parents hardly had any vegetables or fruit for dinner. If they did, it was not put on our plate. My mom once said it was because I did not like vegetables. This is the same person that was shocked in college that I was eating salads. Cook vegetables, eat fruit, put it on your kids plates. They may not eat it, but they should at least try it. They should see you eating healthy. I know this is the age of fast food. Believe me, this week my family will eat out almost every night because of our schedule. It is easy. Look for healthy alternatives and make that part of your meal. Kids do what they see.
Have dinner at the dinner table
My family never ate at the dinner table growing up. Hence the reason my family now is required to eat at the table. Eating in rooms or in front of the TV keeps kids and individuals from processing how much they are eating. It takes 20 minutes for food to digest and if you are preoccupied with another activity while you are eating, you are not realizing how much is going in. Bring the focus of food to the table so that when you are away you are not snacking.
Turn off the TV
Television is on more than seven hours a day in that average American home. Is there a link between watching TV and being overweight? Yes. According to KidsHealth, kids who watch more than four hours of TV per day are more likely to be overweight. TV-Turnoff network reports that the average child sees 40,000 commercials each year, many of which promote soft drinks and junk food. You disbelieve that commercials make a difference? Come shop with my five-year-old.
Get active
My parents came home every night and sat in front of the TV. Not a good influence. If you are active, by nature your kids will be too. If you can belong to a health club it is all the more better. We belong to the YMCA. The benefits are tremendous. Kids get taught from a young age about exercise, healthy eating and being active. If you can’t afford a health club, go to a park or area track. Bring the kids out of the house. They need the fresh air. Sign your kids up for extra-curricular activities. They benefit from the friendships they make as well as the activity.
Stock your house with healthy foods
Your kids will not snack on junk food or sodas if they aren’t in the house. Besides, we saved a lot of money when we quit buying sodas. Don’t be fooled by high sugar fruit snacks. Get label smart and teach your kids what labels say and mean.
The trick to not hurting a child’s self-esteem is to not point out their obesity. Instead make changes in your family life style. They will lose the weight from being more active and you too as a parent will live healthier. They will never dwell on the fact that they are fat. It will just disappear on its own.
