Protect Your Child from Obesity
How to Help Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers Avoid Weight Problems
Don't wait until your child is already overweight to begin good eating habits. Guarding against childhood obesity begins before your baby is born.
If you’re contemplating having a baby, you need to start now making sure your future child won’t struggle with a weight problem. Too often parents wait until their toddlers and young children have already put on weight to be concerned.
Childhood obesity is a growing problem, which has doubled in the past two decades. According to research conducted by the Department of Health in New York State, 10 percent of 4 and 5 year olds are overweight. As children age, the percentages increase with one in five boys (ages 6-11) being overweight. Besides social problems, childhood obesity can also be the gateway to health problems as adults. Often people who suffer from diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol were overweight as children.
Begin Early
Begin even before conception--Start on the right track even before your child is conceived by taking care of yourself. Once you become pregnant, don’t put on excessive weight. What’s more, gestational diabetes and smoking can also contribute to infant obesity.
Because formula is sweeter than breast milk and may lead to an early addiction to sweets, it’s worth your while to consider breast feeding. Also, regulate feedings (feed no more than once every 3 hours). If you do bottle feed, don’t over scoop baby formula. At 6 months old, adjust feedings to three meals daily.
Get Rid of Unhealthy Food
While your children are babies and toddlers you have more control over what they eat. Fortunately, most kids don’t do the family grocery shopping, so it’s up to you as a parent to make healthy choices. Of course, when your toddler gets older and leaves your house to visit friends, you can’t tag along. However, if you start giving them nutritional foods at home, most likely, they’ll develop a liking to foods that are good for them, rather than junk food. Use fruits and Jell-Os for desserts rather than sugary treats packed with sugar and fat.
Tips for Controlling Toddlers
- Control serving sizes--How much your toddler eats is just as important as what he eats. Keep in mind that a normal-size toddler portion is only ¼ of an adult one, not overloading his plate.
- Don’t push an “empty plate”--Don’t make your toddler feel guilty that if he doesn’t finish his food by saying there’ll be more hungry children in third world countries. If he doesn’t polish up his plate, then he’s probably full.
- Brown bag it--Rather than subject your toddler or preschooler to snacks in daycare and nursery school loaded in sugar and fat, insist that your kids bring their own treats. Make it appealing by offering low fat yogurt.
- Doesn’t use food as rewards--If your toddler does a good job, give him a sticker--not a cookie.
Is Your Toddler Already Overweight?
If you already have a toddler or young child that you fear may have a weight problem, get him (or her) evaluated. Appearances can be deceiving. Don’t determine if your toddler is or isn’t overweight just by physical appearance. Instead, have him evaluated by his pediatrician or a health care professional who can determine his BMI. On the other hand, (if your child is ages 2-20) using the Childhood Obesity Assessment Calculator can also asses if he’s overweight.
Set a Good Example
Finally, set a good example yourself. Let your toddlers and preschoolers see how you make wise choices in eating nutritional foods. In other words, practice what you preach. Good eating habits are “caught” more than taught.
