Tips to Help an Overweight Child to Reduce Weight

Childhood obesity is a major public health crisis nationally and internationally. Back few decades, the question of childhood obesity was not an issue to be argued.

Causes of childhood obesity: consuming more calories than are expended, excess intake of fast foods which is fried, processed, sugary, and absent in nutrients, inactivity, family history, etc.

Tips to help an overweight child to reduce weight:

• Encourage your child to drink plenty of water.
• Include small frequent meals in a day rather than 3 larger meals in a day.
• Don’t skip any meal and especially 1st meal of the day – Breakfast.
• Include more fruits and vegetables in the diet to meet the required nutrients. Choose whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy products.
• Include healthy fats in diet like nuts, fatty fish, olive oil.
• Involve children in planning, shopping, and preparing meals.
• Help children understand that sweets such as candy, cookies, or cake are not everyday foods.
• Avoid all fried, processed, and sugary products/ drinks.
• Avoid eating in front of the TV.
• Provide your child with fun opportunities for regular exercise. Play an hour a day.

By eating many fruits and vegetables in place of fast food and junk food, people could avoid obesity.