The increase in childhood obesity across the country has led to an increase in numerous health effects and diabetes. If you are a parent of an overweight child or teen and are considering a summer weight loss camp, you may be looking for some things you can start doing now before they head off to camp for the summer.
Most people know what it takes to lose weight – eat a healthier diet and increase physical activity. It sounds simple enough, but anyone that has ever tried to break some bad habits and lose weight knows that it is much easier said than done. This is especially true for children who often do not have the motivation to do it all on their own. As a responsible parent, the challenge often falls in to your lap. So what can you do?
The first thing to keep in mind is that, despite numerous infomercials, ads, and websites out there, there is no “miracle pill” or quick remedy. Some of these things might work in the short term, but they are not long term solutions that will benefit your child’s long term health. It’s always best to take a long-term approach to weight loss and realize that it’s most important to teach children to live healthier for their entire life versus losing weight in two months that they’ll gain back.
Stick to the basics. Don’t even worry about counting total calorie, carbohydrate, and/or fat intake every day or implementing a rigorous exercise routine immediately. Instead, look for some easy changes to begin with and then increase the efforts as time progresses and your child gets more comfortable with a new diet and increased physical activity level. If your child likes to snack, start with providing some healthier snack alternatives like carrots instead of potato chips.
If your child has been gaining weight consistently for a period of time, the first thing to do is stop the weight gain. According to Keeping Kids Healthy, one pound of weight gain is equal to about 3500 calories. So, if your kid is gaining a pound of weight every week, begin by cutting 3500 calories out of their weekly diet or about 500 calories a day. The change might be as simple as switching to diet soda or non-fat milk.
For example, a can of Dr. Pepper has 100 calories. A can of Diet Dr. Pepper has 0. If your child drinks three cans of Dr. Pepper a day, switching to Diet Dr. Pepper will cut 300 calories out of their daily diet. A simple, yet effective change.
Once your child’s weight has stabilized, you can begin the process of shedding weight. Sticking with the above formula will help, but exercise will become more important here as well since increasing physical activity levels will increase the impact of eating healthier. A 30-60 minute period of exercise every day can burn 50-100 calories in kids. Combine this with a decrease in calories consumed, and the net impact on a daily basis is much bigger. Exercise can be as simple as something like walking the dog, shooting some hoops, or going for a bike ride around the neighborhood.
It is also important that parents serve as good role models. Sticking with the Dr. Pepper example, if your child switches to Diet soda, you should do the same. Don’t send them off to walk the dog every day by themselves – go with them.
Starting simple at home will set your child up for more success when they head off this summer to weight loss camp.
