Does Your Child Need To Lose Weight?

If your child is getting lethargic by eating too much of junk and bunking nutritious food, it's time for your child to lose weight. A new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that more than 15 percent of six- to-nine-year-old's were overweight in 1999 to 2000, compared with about 11 percent in 1998 to 1994. Obesity has led to more and more children being diagnosed with diabetes 2 and high cholesterol, which makes it very important for kids to lose weight and develop healthy eating habits. Kids these days ignore outdoor activities and resort to indoor games, leading to weight gain. Obesity is defined as a 20% excess of calculated ideal weight for age, sex and height of a child. If your child's Body Mass Index is above 30, it is surely a matter to worry.

Also Read: Barley Water: Our Secret Weight Loss Tool

Here's what parents can do to help their child lose weight.

1. Encourage your child to indulge in sports activities

Don't just encourage your child to opt for cricket. There are other sports as well. You should motivate your child to try different sports and then opt for the one he/she likes. If your child is an introvert, take out time and play with your child or find out activities they can do at home.
2. Help you child adapt yoga

Yoga is an excellent way to tone up and be fit; the earlier you start, the better. Even in ancient times, students were taught sun salutation or pranayama for its varied benefits.

3. Aerobic workouts will help your child

You may be keen on building brawn but you must also consider aerobic workouts significant enough for your child. Do not carry the false belief that you will lose much of what they have worked for in the first place. Each effort, involving muscle building, heart and lung efficiency and increase in flexibility, work on different principles. And each of them requires that they be trained separately. A well-balanced program will give you much better long-term results and will make you feel fitter rather than just look fit.

4. Help your child adapt a better lifestyle

Studies have shown that there is a link between watching too much TV, playing with gadgets, play stations, spending time on the computer and obesity. So it is imperative that parents should limit a child's dependence on gadgets and limit intake of junk food too.

5. Water works wonders!

The trick to avoid eating more is to keep replacing calories with water for your child. Before taking a meal, a glass of water or sipping throughout will help in keeping you full for longer and prevent overeating. Do not bloat yourself with too much water.

COMMENT