According to statistics gathered by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents within the previous 30 years. More than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese in 2012. These kids are highly susceptible to serious health conditions including high cholesterol, diabetes, sleep apnea, as well as an increased risk of low self-esteem and depression.
Due to these astonishing numbers, it’s imperative for parents to address this issue or else numbers will continue to rise. Here are some tips that steer your children, along with yourself, toward the right direction.
Diet, Exercise, and Positive Support
The most crucial factors in helping your child obtain a normal, healthy weight include dieting, activities and emotional reinforcement. While this information isn’t anything new, the challenge is determining how to change lifestyle habits without hurting your child’s feeling and quarreling.
Our North Shore weight loss program experts suggest the following:
- Psychologists say to accept your child for who they are, otherwise they will feel direct or implied dissatisfaction, which could thwart your attempts to get healthy.
- Don’t make their weight issues a huge problem by constantly lecturing and criticizing them. Instead, try integrating changes into your family’s life in a natural, subtle manner.
- Understand that you have control over this. Small changes over time can come a long way.
Change Starts With You
Tackling childhood obesity isn’t only up to the child, it takes an entire family. If everyone is involved, everyone will benefit from healthier habits.
Family members should:
- Lead by example but doing your things your children should be doing. If you want your child to exercise more, you must exercise more. If you want your child to diet, go on a diet. This can be an opportunity for you to invite your child to join you.
- If your children typically watch television or plays videogames for long periods of time, try to invite them to do some physical activities including taking a hike or a bike ride. Starting off with 30 minutes of physical activity a day is great. Don’t forget to ask your children if they have any ideas of their own.
- Maintaining healthy eating habits by waning out bad ones including snacking on junk food can get their diet on the right track. Even your children out shopping and let them decide to healthy foods to eat.
- If you don’t see any progress in your child’s weight, then it’s time to seek assistance from professional help. These trained experts are capable of providing your children with knowledge and inspire them to be healthier.
Contact us today by calling (504) 475-9817 and request a free appointment!