Parenting Children Who Are Overweight

Seeing a difference in children's weight these days, as opposed to twenty years ago is readily apparent. If you are like most Moms of more than one child, you probably have a child that falls into the overweight category. Being overweight is not only an excess of weight, it's now defined as being larger than the anorexic girls walking around our kids' schools. It's sad that society has done this to our children, little girls mostly.

Recognizing this problem involves more than a true weight problem; it involves the child's self perception as compared to other children. Therefore, it's vitally important as a parent, to pay close attention to how your child feels about himself/herself. If your child begins asking questions about why they don't look like the other kids and paying entirely too much attention to outward appearances, remember reading this article.

Before addressing the weight of my child, I chose to address the self-esteem issue. If a child feels he/she is perfectly acceptable in the eyes of her parents, she is more likely to feel acceptance across the board. Reinforce the fact of the child's value being in the person she is rather than what she looks like. This is easily done by recognizing and praising their achievements and skills. A person's success in this world is going to be in what they do, not what they look like. Set your child up to win by encouraging them in their scholastic achievements, sports, etc.

Once your child has a healthy opinion of self, there are many tools available to help you help your child. Diet and exercise are the tried and true methods that will ensure a healthy body for years to come. Portion control was huge for me. Instead of making an entire plate of food, I would make sure the food only covered 1/2 the plate. That truly is more than enough for a child! Adding a thirty minute brisk walk three times a week is a good start. You can visit weightlossforall.com for great tips on exercise, weight loss and healthy dieting habits. Remember, it's a lifestyle change that will occur over time. Keep your child encouraged about the long-term benefits of healthy eating.

One diet that's well-balanced and easy to stick to is Weight Watchers. Over the years, they have improved their diets to accommodate individuals with busy lives. Weight Watcher's is just one example of a nutritionally sound diet. You can Google "diet" and stumble upon more than you ever thought possible. The most simple diet is that of high protein, low fat with moderate carbohydrate intake.

I hope this helps someone in their challenge. Please leave any additional tips that you feel may be beneficial to me or other readers.