Whether they admit it or not, children and teens look up to the adults in their lives. When it comes to issues about health, a number of the habits that kids develop are a direct result of the behaviors that they mimic from their parents. If you have an overweight child, the truth is that in most cases some of the habits that led to their excessive weight gain were learned from you. Thus, if you have a child who needs to lose weight and you’re considering sending them to a weight loss camp (or they have attended one and are returning home), you will need to make some changes to your habits to be a positive role model. While the majority of the articles I post here revolve around strategies for kids, I’d like to take this opportunity to highlight the role of parents a bit more.
As we all know, losing weight comes down to two things – eating better and exercising more. That is the formula that has worked for centuries and will continue to work for many more. For parents of kids trying to lose weight, the common saying of “Do as I say, not as I do” will not work. Put yourself in their shoes – would you want to sit down to a snack of carrots and celery while the rest of the people snacking with you ate cookies, chips, candy, etc?
So, if you’re making efforts to change the diet of your child, make sure you make similar changes in your diet. As I mentioned previously, if your kid switches to diet soda or low fat milk, don’t keep regular soda and milk around the house for the rest of the family. Prepare healthy meals for the entire family and don’t make the diet of one child “special.” The support you provide by making the same changes as your child will go a long way…and it will benefit your personal health (and the health of the rest of the family) as well.
Since exercise and increased activity levels are equally important, you also need to be a good role model here too. Set aside more time to play with your kids – take them to the park for a walk or to play on the playground if they’re still at that age. If they’re a bit older, try things like hikes or playing a game of catch in the back yard. Or you can do things like go to the local museum or zoo – though not really thought of as forms of exercise, these activities involve a lot of walking around to view the different exhibits – and they can be educational.
Televisions, computers, video games, and other “screens” are also an area where changes will likely need to be made. Kids today spend more time than ever sitting down playing games, surfing the web, or watching television. You can make this a family event with things like the Wii Fit that are video games that involve physical activity. Additionally, be aware of how much time you spend watching TV or using the computer. Your child will not feel very supported if you tell them they need to go play outside instead of watching TV if they know that you’re just going to watch TV while they’re outside.
Finally, encourage your kids to get involved in activities like organized sports and be supportive by attending their practices and games and providing encouragement. Also, don’t limit them to the sports that you are familiar with or that you played when you were growing up. If your kid expresses an interest in something that you’ve never heard of or know little about, make it a learning experience for everyone.
The key is to remain positive. Summer weight loss camps are successful because they do a great job of removing kids from their “normal” routine, introducing new and fun activities, serving healthy foods, and creating a healthy and supportive environment where making some changes is easy. With the right mindset and role modeling, parents can be an equally important part of helping their child develop a healthy lifestyle.
