I Have A Child With Obesity article

Credit: Your Weight Matters Magazine, Fall 2016

 

What can parents do to help?

A discussion with your child’s primary care provider is a good place to start. If your child’s body mass index (BMI) is in the overweight range, defined as a BMI between the 85th and 95th percentile, it may be appropriate to receive treatment in the primary care setting with the help of a registered dietitian. Periodic follow-up is necessary to see if the changes you start to make at home are producing results.

Create a healthier home environment

Helping your child to mange their weight and health can begin right in your home. Just make sure that you change the diet and exercise plan for everyone at home, too– not just the target child or children.

To do this, follow some of these tips:

• Make it easier on yourself by going through your pantry and refrigerator and getting rid of snack foods, desserts and any beverages other than milk or water.
• Keep driving when you pass a fast food restaurant.
• Plan your meals and your exercise schedule, and have a fallback plan as well. For example, keep some healthy go-to foods in the refrigerator or freezer just in case you run out of time to cook. Try to cook ahead so you can heat up healthy dishes for those busy days.
• Keep a jump rope at home or have an electronic exercise plan (found on CDs, phones, YouTube, etc.) for those days when you oversleep or can’t make it to the gym.
• Take the power cords to the TV, video games and tablets, and don’t allow anyone in the house to spend countless hours of time in front of the screen. Don’t expect your child to limit themselves from their electronic addition– there are few adults who can do this and fewer children.

For more information and resources on obesity, visit http://www.obesityaction.org