How to help your child lose weight

February 18, 2015

How to help your child lose weight: Keeping and staying on a healthy weight

How to help your child lose weight will require that you bring in the weight loss experts for the results to be realized

Obesity is not happening like an accident it develops gradually over a period of time and interestingly once settled it cannot be solved overnight. The solution will also take the same gradual process. If you or your child is struggling with obesity or overweight, you must be ready to take one step at a time. The process will not be easy but at the same time it is not impossible. Your first step would be to acknowledge that there is a problem. With the right people around you the process may even be much friendly and enjoyable. However, when we are talking about solutions it is important that we look towards preventions. Our children must not be allowed to go through this problem of weight gain and its associates. Therefore how to help your child lose weight should be your priority number one. I have talked about prevention for sure this is the best remedy. It is always much easier and economical to prevent weight gain by maintaining a healthy weight than it is to losing it (weight). Doctor Dalal Akoury a weight loss professional of over two decades and the founder and CEO of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is sharing with us some of the available options for us.

How to help your child lose weight: Make it a whole family effort

Obesity is not just your child’s problem. It is a problem that the whole family must be involved in solving. Your child lives within your family environment.
Chances are, someone else in your family has also struggled with weight or experienced obesity. They may be able to offer valuable help and support in developing realistic goals for your child.
As a family try to think of problems that you have solved successfully. This will help you stay positive, and look for other areas that are opportunities for change.
Mealtimes should be family times. Create a relaxed atmosphere around mealtime. Eat slowly and enjoy your food. Eat together as a family, and don’t watch TV during meals. Families that do not eat together tend to consume more fried foods and soda and less fruits and veggies than families that share meals.

How to help your child lose weight: Be a positive role model

Remember children are the best photocopiers. They are very observant and will do exactly what you do and very little on what you say. They may be getting the best teaching in their schools but if what they observe at home is different then, that is what they will do. In other words if your whole family eats healthy foods and gets active then your child will do the same with ease.

How to help your child lose weight: Help your child set goals

Set short-term goals for changes in your child’s diet and exercise on a weekly basis. Update your goals each weekly and write them down. Like you could set time limits for watching TV and jogging around.
Ensure that the set goals are realistic. For example, exercising an hour every day is unrealistic for a child who is de-conditioned, and not used to even minimal physical activity.
Appreciate them when they meet their weekly goals.
Have your child keep a record of their food intake and exercise. This will allow them to be more self-aware of their behavior. Give them positive feedback where necessary on their performance.
Praise your child for healthy food choices and physical activity. Criticism and punishment just don’t work.
Make sure your child understands that they can make a difference in their weight and that you will support them all the way.
Help your child recognize hunger and fullness signals. Stop eating when you’re full and turn down helpings when you are no longer hungry.
Help your child figure out what kinds of emotions and situations trigger overeating for them.
Make your child’s behavior changes a positive, fun experience by planning healthy foods, fun activities, and rewards for positive behavior.

How to help your child lose weight: Watch their media diet

Think about all the media your child uses: television, computer, video games, and hand-held computer games. These are all activities that replace physical activity in your child’s daily routine. Placing time limits on them will free up time for a more active lifestyle. Watching TV can use less energy than simply sitting and resting! Also, we tend to snack on high calorie foods during these inactive times.
Teach your child to be media savvy. The media bombards us with images of thin people having fun while eating and drinking high calorie foods. Kids don’t necessarily have the cognitive abilities to process this paradox.
Limit inactive things like TV, video games and computer time. Watching TV can use less energy than simply sitting and resting! Also, we tend to snack on high calorie foods during these inactive times.

How to help your child lose weight: Eat healthy meals and snacks

Have structured mealtimes and snacks on a schedule. Model and insist on good meal habits remember that eating less breakfast and more dinner or skipping breakfast increase the risk for obesity.
Don’t mistake healthy eating for dieting. Eating large amounts of high calorie food and frequent snacking have become commonplace. Bad eating habits become accepted as normal eating habits. Eating healthful foods in a healthy manner is not the same as dieting.
The food emphasis should be on a variety of vegetables, with half your plate being vegetables and fruits. Grains should be whole grains.
Keep only healthy foods in your home. Keeping junk food around for other family members, and trying to “police” what your child eats, only promotes sneak eating.

How to help your child lose weight: Get moving

Encourage physical activity. As kids move into adolescence, their levels of activity tend to drop too low. Do active things together as a family, like bike riding, hiking, walking and swimming. Here are some great ideas for helping to get your child and your family more active.
Build activity into your family’s daily life with household chores, walking to school, parking farther from buildings and taking the stairs. Decreasing inactivity works better for long-term weight loss than focusing on vigorous aerobic exercise. It’s also an easier lifestyle change for your family to make!
Make sure your kid gets outside during daylight hours. You could make it a policy in your family that unless the weather is bad, your children play outdoors after school. This encourages physical activity, and rules out the inactive pursuits of TV and other media.

Finally I will again make emphasis on the prevention as this is the best way to keep healthy all the days of our kids live. However knowing that this may have passed you and you are already struggling with weight gain. All is not lost for you. You can schedule for an appointment with the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center and doctor Akoury will take you through the weight loss program professionally leaving you with a much healthier weight and great life a head of you.

How to help your child lose weight: Keeping and staying on a healthy weight

Obesity and Overweight particularly in Children

February 18, 2015

Obesity and Overweight particularly in Children: What is obesity?

Obesity and Overweight particularly in Children is a good foundation to give to them. Seeking for help in situations like this is very necessary

If we don’t collectively do something about it, it will stay with us for a very long time. Obesity and overweight particularly in children is not to be over looked by all standards. Research tells us a about how parents can fight the obesity epidemic for their good health of their children and even for themselves. But the question is we doing enough to bring this escalating problem to a manageable level? Let me be very specific, what are you doing to bring the problem of obesity and overweight particularly in children? As you ponder about that I want to bring to your attention that irrespective of what you are doing, AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care is doing something and are changing lives of people globally in regard to this problem. We don’t want you to be left out and so as we get into the discussion, I want to invite you and request you to schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury if you or your child is struggling with obesity.

The simplest understanding of what obesity is would means having too much body fat. A child is obese if their weight is more than 20% higher than the ideal weight for a boy or girl of their age and height. These excess fats are the problem and the sooner we deal with them the better not just for us but for the generations to come. If we can pool together, then we will be we will bring up generations free of obesity and overweight. To help us do this, let us find some answers to these questions as we progress.

Obesity and Overweight particularly in Children: How common is obesity and overweight?

The available statistics is worrying not just in the US but globally. However using the US as an example research indicates that in the years 1980-2000, the rate of obesity and overweight has more than double particularly in children and teens. It is no wonder that the problem is being considered an epidemic. Today figures have changed on the upward trend with about 17.1% of our children and teen being either obese or overweight. With this trend we must stop asking how common but join in the fight of the epidemic for a better tomorrow.

Obesity and Overweight particularly in Children: What are the concerns about obesity in general?

Just like in the adults being obese increases a child’s risk for some serious and chronic childhood medical problems associated with overweight. Such conditions may include:

Pre-diabetes and diabetes
Heart disease, high blood pressure (hypertension)
Hyperlipidemia (too much cholesterol in the blood, which can clog the arteries)
Sleep apnea and breathing problems
Bone conditions, such as hip problems
Gastro-intestinal diseases
Early puberty
Psychological problems, like poor self-esteem and depression

If this is not addressed at its initial stage, then these children are at greater risk of becoming obese adults and inheriting all the health problems associated with obesity lasting through the lifespan. These obesity-associated health problems include high blood pressure, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, gout, pulmonary problems, gall bladder disease, liver disease, psychosocial problems, reproductive problems, and some types of cancer.

Obesity and Overweight particularly in Children: How can I tell if my child is overweight?

Just by mare observation of the size of your child is not conclusive enough to suggest that a child is overweight or obese. Periodic processional checkups are very necessary. At AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, doctor Akoury will help you establish the true status of your child and if found obese or overweight, the she will undertake certain natural and friendly treatment approach to help your child regain his/her healthy weight back. There are some different measurements a doctor may take to tell whether your child is overweight. Like for example:

Weight and height – can be compared and plotted on a growth chart.
Skinfold thickness – measured at the triceps (back of the upper arm) with a caliper that pinches the skin and fat together will be higher than expected in an overweight child.
The best measurement to take is body mass index (BMI). It is fairly complicated to calculate and understand. You can use the link above to read about how BMI is used with children, calculate your child’s BMI on the web calculator, and check your child’s BMI against the right chart for their age and sex to find out their percentile. Note that BMI above 85 percentile for children is at risk of overweight while that above 95 is not at risk but is overweight or obese.

Obesity and Overweight particularly in Children: How do kids become obese or overweight?

Like most chronic health problems, obesity is caused by complex interactions between genes, environment and behavior or habits.
Many studies have shown that there is not a big difference in the amount of food eaten and physical activity between obese and non-obese kids. Probably small differences in eating and activity over time really add up and lead to weight gain. Obese children do tend to eat larger portions or higher calorie foods, like high-fat foods.

Physical activity and inactivity are very important factors. Actually children who take a lot of time on the screen and playing video games are potential overweight and obese candidates. In other wards such activities does not encourage movement and therefore little or no calories are burnt resulting into being obese or overweight. What is worrying is that most schools where our children attend do not have playing grounds. One would want to get solace that in place of playing ground there would be a well finished gym. You will be very disappointed if you thought so. All that is available is more rooms for class rooms, kitchen where unhealthy food is prepared and probably the administration blocks. Now if our children spend the better part of their lives in school and this is the kind of environment we have, what is the hope of losing weight?

In our introduction I said that at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care we are doing something and are changing lives of people globally. We intend to make a difference in the society and beyond. Doctor Akoury actually founded this facility center whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. Remember that if you don’t do something today, they you are transferring the many chronic complications associated with obesity and overweight to the next generation through your children.

If by reading this article you feel that you need help in eliminating this problem completely, then schedule for that very important appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury today and let us help you bring up children with healthy weight for a healthy society. As you consider that it is also very important to remember that children coming from families with obese parents tend to be obese themselves. Like for instance in the event that one parent is obese or overweight, their teen has an 80% chance of being overweight. Why is this so? This is probably because of a combination of genetics and family behavior and habits. Children of moms who have diabetes are more likely to be overweight.

Obesity and Overweight particularly in Children: What is obesity?

Recommendations of experts on weight loss

February 14, 2015

Recommendations of experts on weight loss: The first step is acknowledgment

Recommendations of experts on weight loss are very important and nutrition plays a big role

The problem of weight is not just a national problem but an international phenomenon. And because of the magnitude of problems associated with this condition, a lot is being done to bring obesity and overweight to a manageable level if not to eliminate in totality. It is because of this that a group of experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center are working round the clock to bring sanity to our societies by creating awareness and educating the societies of what is expected of them to be safe. Therefore in view of this we are going to be looking at the recommendations of the experts on weight loss so that together we can live healthy lives free from conditions associated with being obese or overweight. Doctor Dalal Akoury being the founder of AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center is one of the most experience weight loss professional having been in practice for well over two decades now. She is going to lead her team of experts in highlighting some of the weight loss tips you and I need to adapt for a more healthy life.

Recommendations of experts on weight loss: Exercise

Exercise is one of the best in fighting stress which is a major component of weight gain. It not only helps in burning calories, but when you move your body, even with a simple activity such as walking, you begin to produce a cascade of biochemical, at least some of which counter the negative effects of stress hormones as well as control insulin and sugar levels. While it is very important and healthy to exercise, careful attention should be taken so as not to over exercise hard and for long as this can trigger cortisol levels a stress hormone. In this case is recommended that your choice of activities should be that which you can really enjoy doing. Also remember to keep workout to non-exhausting activities.

Recommendations of experts on weight loss: Eat a balanced diet and never skip a meal

Eat breakfast and try to consume six small rather than three huge meals a day, with foods from all the food groups. This helps keep blood sugar levels steady, which in turn put a damper on insulin production and eventually reduce cortisol levels all helping to control appetite and weight.

Recommendations of experts on weight loss: Don’t lose sleep

Stress and weight problems can never associate together. Therefore when you retire in bed never do so over your weight problems or your stress. It is important to note that when we don’t get enough rest, cortisol levels rise, making us feel hungry and less satisfied with the food we do eat.

Recommendations of experts on weight loss: Devote time to relax

Because it works much like exercise to produce brain chemicals that counter the effects of stress, finding the activities that make you feel relaxed and calm. You could choose yoga to exercise since it also offers you moments of relaxation. Take note of the relaxing power of cuddling up on a sofa with a good book or magazine, or even playing your favorite movie on the VCR. Anything that makes you feel calm and relaxed will help counter the biochemical effects of stress.

Recommendations of experts on weight loss: Snack on whole grain, high fiber foods.

If you just can’t ignore those stress-related hunger pangs, try filling your tummy with foods high in fiber and low in sugar, like oatmeal, whole wheat bread, or fruits such as pears or plums. Foods which are high in sugar and simple carbohydrates like white flour, cookies, cake, white rice, or pasta cause insulin levels to rise, which in turn increases stress hormones and ultimately makes you feel more hungry. But high-fiber, whole-grain foods particularly cereals like oatmeal or multi-grain flakes, as well as fruits helps in keeping insulin levels on an even keel, which can help control blood sugar levels, and ultimately, hunger.

Recommendations of experts on weight loss: Avoid caffeine, cigarettes and alcohol

Drugs like cigarettes, as well as caffeine-laden soft drinks, coffee, tea, and even chocolate, can cause cortisol levels to rise, stress to increase, blood sugar to drop and hunger to prevail. It is also important desist from drinking too much alcohol, which can affect blood sugar and insulin levels.

Recommendations of experts on weight loss: Vitamins

A number of medical studies have shown that stress can deplete important nutrients particularly the B complex and C vitamins, and sometimes the minerals calcium and magnesium. Because these nutrients are needed to balance the effects of stress hormones like cortisol, and may even play a role in helping us burn fat, it’s important to keep levels high. While a good diet will help, taking a high potency multi-vitamin supplement can insure you give your body what it needs to not only deal with the stress, but also burn fat and lose weight. And speaking of losing weight, here’s one bit of news you may be happy to hear: Experts say you shouldn’t try to go on a strict diet when you’re under extreme or chronic stress.

We may not exhaust all the weight lose tips in this article and therefore more need to be done to keep the society well informed of all the benefits of shedding off some weight. Doctor Akoury says that if for whatever reason you find yourself chronically stressed out, you must make all the necessary effort to ensure the level of stress is reduces and where possible be eliminated completely. We appreciate that this might be such an uphill task, but you need not to worry or struggle with it alone. Scheduling for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury for treatment and professional advice would be the starting point. Like I had indicated before, doctor Akoury is one of the top professionals in the region whose expertise has been tested. Your condition will be very safe in her care and by the time she is done with you; you will surely have your life back and live it to the fullest.

Recommendations of experts on weight loss: The first step is acknowledgment

Importance of Family meals and mindful eating

February 6, 2015

Importance of Family meals and mindful eating: why do they matter?

Importance of Family meals and mindful eating is one of the best ways of training children to adapt on healthy feeding habits.

Have you heard the wise saying that a family that eats together stays together? This is a virtue which is losing popularity in this time and age. Because of various reasons getting the whole family to sit down on around table for a meal can be very difficult sometimes next to impossible owing to the various activities like engagement in sport practice, working late to meet certain tight deadlines and homework taking up most of your evening hours. This culture has made many family members living in one house to take their meals at whatever time best suits them. Even though this may be fine to others it may not really impact positively to the children and even grownups who are struggling with certain health conditions relating to weight gain. Some studies have established that families who eat together have demonstrated positive outcomes when it comes to health, family relationships and social development. As we progress in this discussion, we are going to look at the importance of family meals and mindful eating in relation to keeping a healthy family.

According to the experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center, it is the family meal time where children learn manners and healthy feeding habits share and interact freely with their parents; discuss what’s happening in their lives and experiences in new food stuff. It is important to note that it is not only about meal times but it includes even the preparation of food and the table setting process. The family involvement in all these roles will go a long way in shaping the mindset and feelings about the food taken. Doctor Akoury says that it is at the dinner table where your commitment to modeling your children is demonstrated. When you don’t eat together you may not be able to cultivate that culture of healthy feeding habits in your children. The consequences of this is not just about being obese but includes all the futility that comes with being overweight and obese. I encourage you to take the meal time at a family level seriously and be a role model for your children.

Importance of Family meals and mindful eating: Social changes affecting family meal times

Increased working hours and work load in places of work
The increase in population of people living alone
Number of women (particularly mothers) in office employment
Number of single parent households and/or family displacement
Use of technological gadgets in the household
The portion of income we spend on food and drink away from the home

Importance of Family meals and mindful eating: Benefits associated with frequent family meal times

Improved relationships between family members
Increased intake of healthy foods and healthier eating habits
Increased understanding of social behaviors
Improved speech for children
Better mental health outcomes
Decreased risk of children taking up smoking, drugs or having problems with the law.

Importance of Family meals and mindful eating: What you can do

If you’re not already eating together regularly, aim to do so just one night a week for a start.
If dinnertime is too hard to get everyone together, try to have a special family breakfast on the weekends or a family lunch.
During the week, don’t worry if everyone can make it. Sit with whoever is at home to enjoy a meal.
Ignore all phones, turn off the TV and ban texting at the table.
At a loss for conversation? Ask each family member to share one good thing and one bad thing that happened during their day.
Take turns talking so no one is left out. Use an egg timer for little kids if they tend to ramble!
Get your children involved in the meal preparation. Older kids can take charge of the whole meal, while younger ones can help set the table.

Importance of Family meals and mindful eating: Mindful eating

It is not uncommon these days to be constantly grazing on food without taking time to enjoy a full meal this is certainly not mindful eating. Often pre-packaged, these convenience foods are high in nutrients linked to increased risk of diet related diseases. And because many of us are poor in keeping time majority of us are eating hurriedly or in front of our computers surprisingly, such feedings are often not propelled by hunger. Instead, we should be choosing to eat mindfully; bringing our attention and focus to the present moment. Practicing mindful eating can help to bring back an appreciation and enjoyment of food.

Sit at the dinner table for your meal – It’s important to pay attention while eating, rather than grazing mindlessly. Put the phone down, log off your computer, turn off the TV and enjoy your food. That way, you’ll be less likely to overeat. Take the time to talk to family members about their lives and have a conversation. A meal should be a positive and enjoyable time for all. This way you will be avoiding certain health conditions associated with over eating.

Rate your hunger level – If your child says they’re hungry, ask them to rate their hunger level on a scale of 1-10 with one being very hungry, 5 being satisfied and 10 being so full that they feel sick. Do this throughout the meal and if they are not hungry, don’t force them to eat a whole meal. If your child is hungry, they will keep eating. Encourage them to stop eating once they rate their hunger as 5 and not to keep eating until they reach level 10.

Let kids serve themselves – If your child is old enough, allow them to serve themselves how much they would like to eat. While you can provide guidance so that they have enough veggies on their plate, allow them to decide how much will fill them up.

Encourage slow eating – Set the pace for the meal by eating slowly yourself. Take time to chew food properly and put your cutlery down before each mouthful. Aim to take at least 20 to 30 minutes to finish eating your meal. Make this a rule so your children know they will be sitting there for 30 minutes so they might as well eat their food slowly instead of rushing off to see what’s on TV or check their phones.

Discuss the food – At the dinner table, discuss how much you like or dislike a certain food. Ask your child to describe the taste or texture and if they don’t like it, encourage them to explain why that’s the case.

Make nutritious snacks easy to access – By having fruits in bowls on your kitchen bench or vegetable sticks cut up and in the fridge, your child is more likely to eat these foods. Stock your pantry and fridge with nutritious snacks.

Importance of Family meals and mindful eating: why do they matter?

Influencing positive eating behaviors in our Children

February 5, 2015

Influencing positive eating behaviors in our Children: Healthy Lifestyle begins with you

Influencing positive eating behaviors in our Children at that tender age will go along way in breaking the circle of overweight and obesity in generations to come.

We are at it again and so long as we are not adequately addressing the root cause the vicious circle will continue. It is our desire that by giving you this useful health information we will be making progress to breaking the vicious circle of gaining from one generation to another. The wise says teach a child the way they should go and when they grow up they will not depart from it. I totally agree with this because I vividly remember all those things I was taught while I was still a little child and for sure I am reaping the benefits of following them. In my childhood, my parents were very keen on our health and they made all the effort towards influencing positive eating behaviors in us their children. Because of that today we are healthy and impacting the same on our children their grandchildren. I am trying to address the vicious circle of weight gain that is passed on from one generation to another. You and I have a duty to make that little contribution in stopping this by teaching our children positive eating behaviors during childhood. When successfully done, this will set them growing up in total practice of healthy eating habits for life. Remember that increasing a positive relationship with food as well as a balanced approach to eating can lead to better health outcomes in the long run not just for you but for the many generations to come.

Influencing positive eating behaviors in our Children: Indicators to childhood obesity

It is very disturbing that these days the statistics of obese children is increasing everyday across the globe. Doctor Dalal Akoury is today a testimony of what influencing positive eating behaviors in our children can do. Why must we allow our children to be part of that statistics? What joy is there in your children being classified as overweight or obese? This doesn’t just happen but it is the direct result of a number of behaviors including the following:

Rigorous consumption of foods that are rich in added fat, sugar and salt, especially fried potatoes, sugar-sweetened soft drinks, ice cream, cordials, meat pies and margarine.
Dislike or low consumption of fruit and vegetables.
Consumption of junk foods being purchased away from the home (e.g. take away).
Evening meals being eaten in front of the television.
Too much of screen time (iPads, TV, computers).
A decrease in the amount of incidental activity such as walking to and from school.
A drop in outdoor playtime.

Influencing positive eating behaviors in our Children: What can parents do?

The biggest mistake parents often do is to underestimate their role in the development of healthy eating habits says doctor Akoury. Take this seriously that speaking confidently and positively to your children about healthy foods and role modeling balanced eating is the first step in helping kids develop a healthy relationship with food. It goes without saying that actions speak louder than words. Children watch, they listen and learn through what they see, and then follow what they have observed. What does that communicate to you? It is simple set your children up for life by being a positive role model and creates healthy habits from the start and it all begins with you. They need to see you as their parent practicing that privately and publicly. Doctor Akoury having been in the weight loss discipline for over two decades, is vastly experienced and will be of great help to all parents struggling with their obese children. If this article is addressing your child’s situation or of that of a loved one, then you need to schedule for an appointment with doctor Akoury today so that you can be part of changing the statistics for the better live of your children and the next generation.

Influencing positive eating behaviors in our Children: How do you achieve this?

Doctor Akoury says that you will be surprised to note that very little common things you often ignore are the very things that will make a difference. Take a look at the following ways of influencing positive eating behaviors in our children:

Enjoy all foods in moderation.
Don’t binge on ’occasional’ or ‘extra’ foods.
Prepare homemade meals and try to encourage your children to help you in the process. In other words involve your kids in the menu planning and shopping where possible.
Talk about healthy foods from the five food groups and what they do for your body. For instance, you could make this statement “this apple is so crunchy and delicious its flesh is helping to keep me stay regular and it’s filling me up with its nutritious sweetness.” Or “these carrot sticks contain a super nutrient called beta carotene that helps my eyes stay sharp and focused. Or “this delicious glass of milk contains calcium and it helps my bones and teeth stay strong.” You can imagine the impact that will have on your children.
Ensure your child’s diet is balanced and contains a variety of foods from all the five food groups.
Encourage your children to eat a nutritious breakfast every day using foods from the five food groups.
Encourage drinking of water instead of soft drink or other drinks containing added sugars. Toss in lemon or lime wedges to flavor water.
Avoid negative language around less healthy foods such as ‘bad’ or ‘fattening’. It’s not the type of food that’s bad, it’s the amount and how often the food is eaten that can be problematic. Instead, refer to these foods as “occasional” or “extra” foods and keep portion sizes small.
Place a limit on the number of “occasional” or ‘extra’ foods eaten each week. These foods shouldn’t be eaten daily. Make sure the whole family sticks to this rule and have other, more nutritious snacks available.
Fill your fridge and pantry with a variety of healthy foods that are easily accessible such as whole fruit, whole grain crackers with slices of reduced-fat cheese, reduced-fat yoghurt or pre-sliced veggie sticks with hummus or reduced fat cream cheese.
Discourage eating in front of the TV or computer as this is often done mindlessly without paying attention to hunger cues and can result in the consumption of unnecessary kilojoules (energy).
As often as possible, eat together at the dinner table and turn off the TV, even if the whole family isn’t present.
Be mindful and listen to hunger cues. Most children are great at eating to their hunger so let your child stop eating when they don’t want anymore. Kids will eat when they’re hungry regardless of the food on offer, so always have healthy options available.
Children start to form food likes and dislikes from an early age, so always offer variety. It may take many attempts for your child to like a new food, so don’t give up. Offer small amounts and try presenting it in a fun engaging way.
Avoid using food as a reward or bribe, or holding back on foods as punishment. Use activities or trips to the park as alternatives.

Influencing positive eating behaviors in our Children: Don’t forget about physical activity

Being physically active is an important part of a healthy lifestyle and must never he forgotten. The following are some of the elements you can choose to do for help:

Limit all screen time to two hours or less a day.
Make time for your kids to play outside or be active for at least an hour every day.
Be a role model and make physical activity a family event by going for a bush walk, playing family cricket, playing in the park or kicking a ball around.
Start increasing incidental exercise such as walking to school or the shops, taking the stairs (not the lift), sweeping the path or doing some gardening.

Influencing positive eating behaviors in our Children: Healthy Lifestyle begins with you

Tag Archives: Childhood obesity