Go outside and play! - obese children

Better Nutrition, Sept, 2001 by Liz Brown

It's clear that parents, children and society at large need to work together to prevent and treat this fat epidemic. Encouraging healthy habits at a young age is one way we can try to make a difference.

Here are ten tips to help keep kids healthy

1. Calculate BMI

A good way to determine whether or not your child is overweight is to calculate Body Mass Index (BMI). Go to the Centers for Disease Control's user-friendly web site:

(www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/bmifor-age.htm) to determine BMI for children 2 to 20 years old using an equation factoring in weight to height. Once BMI has been determined, you can see where the child falls on the accompanying tables based on age and gender. A BMI in less than the fifth percentile is considered underweight; a BMI between the 5th and the 85th percentile is considered normal; a BMI greater than or equal to 95 is defined as overweight.

2. Emphasize good health, not weight loss

Considering the unrealistic images of the ideal body incessantly flashing before kids' eyes, as well as the prevalence of eating disorders and dieting in school-age kids, it's important to emphasize eating well and exercising in order to be healthy, not to lose weight. School-age children shouldn't be on diets (except in extreme circumstances, under a doctor's guidance).

3. Limit screen time

Stadler recommends limiting total screen time (TV, video game and computer time) to two hours a day. Consider removing TVs from the bedrooms in your house and turn off the tube during meals.

4. Be a good role model

Kids follow their parents' leads, so don't just tell them to eat healthfully and exercise--show them by doing. Think about what you put in your mouth and how you spend your leisure time and make adjustments--not just for their health, but your own.

5. Offer food choices and participation

Give kids choices when it comes to eating by offering a variety of healthy foods. Focus on moderation, not "good" or "bad" foods and include kids in meal decisions. If they don't like sandwiches, but will eat tuna or something else on its own, pack that in their lunches instead.

"You don't have to be stringent with traditional foods," stresses Stadler. For lunches, include a fruit (if canned, look for fruit in its own juices instead of syrup), a vegetable and a high-protein food (like yogurt, peanut butter, nuts, a hard-boiled egg or meat). Encourage kids to help prepare meals at home, too.

6. Limit portion sizes

It's easy to lose sight of what constitutes a portion in this era of giant servings. Read labels to determine portion size. For example, three-quarters of a cup--not one-and-a-half cups-of cereal is often considered a portion. Refrain from piling heaps of food on kids' plates. Instead, if they ask for seconds, give them more.

7. Don't make dessert the goal

Dessert doesn't always have to follow meals. Granted, rewarding kids for good deeds (cleaning their rooms or getting good grades) with food is so ingrained that it's tough to overcome. Even so, try to keep from linking food treats to a lob well done.