How can a child lose weight? 5 recommendations from a nutritionist

When children weigh more than their age, their quality of life changes completely. They are at greater risk of misunderstanding and ridicule from their peers, and are less likely to participate in active play and social life. The mobility and activity that a child needs to develop is also reduced.

Clinical geneticist, nutritionist and expert from UniProf Academy of Physicians

Over the last decades, the steady increase in obesity or even overweight in children has been a worldwide concern.

What to do if a child’s weight has increased dramatically

A child’s weight is an even more delicate issue than a woman’s or an adult’s weight, especially when we are talking about ages starting around eight or nine years old. A person on the verge of puberty is much more conscious than a toddler at three or four years old, and can feel uncomfortable in their body.

From the outside, it can be difficult to properly assess a child’s weight. In adolescence, for example, they are still in a state of rapid growth and development. And a little “baby fat” can at some point disappear very quickly without any special effort or physical activity. Because it’s all about sex hormones.

Any hormone is a fat-protein substrate, and when metabolism changes during adolescence, growth and formation of new hormones for the body, weight can change dramatically due to normalization of their work. Therefore, a little chubbiness before puberty is considered a variation of the norm.

Both girls and boys will gain weight as they gain centimeters in height. It is normal and healthy for the former to gain weight as their chest and hips develop.

If you still have concerns about your child’s figure, it’s important to talk to your pediatrician or specialist, an endocrinologist.

If you are truly overweight, you need to gently help your child compensate for his or her features. Here’s what you can do.

Make a family effort

Even if your child is the only one in the family who is overweight, it should not be pointed out to him directly. Make weight correction a family project to get fit all together.

It is important that the child does not feel isolated and isolated, as there may be a risk of shutting him/her down and developing complexes as an adult.

Often in girls, such conditions develop into bulimia – a constant pathological desire to be thin, and in boys leads to infantilization and passivity in adulthood.

What to do? You can suggest that all family members reduce the time in front of the TV or computer and go to the park in the evenings. Or choose any other physical activity that can be done together: in winter it can be skiing, skating.

Another option is to “ask for help” from the child in preparing healthy recipes, unobtrusively explaining the usefulness of this or that product.

Build respect for the body

The daily caloric needs of teens can vary greatly from 1,600 to 3,000 calories per day. Rather than becoming obsessed with the calorie content of your child’s diet, it’s more important to teach him to listen to his body’s signals.

When he asks for a snack, ask him if he’s really hungry or just bored or thirsty. The thirst and hunger receptors are very close and most of the time we just confuse the signals. It’s important to even just talk to your child about the difference between physical hunger and a craving for something to munch on.

Replace unhealthy snacks with healthy ones

Your child doesn’t have to follow a comprehensive diet and exercise plan, but they will have to eat well and get regular physical activity to lose weight.

The parent needs to control what is bought as a staple diet and as snacks for everyone in the family, so that it is easier for the child to understand what has changed.

For example, you can dedicate a shelf in the refrigerator to healthy and tasty foods. These can be fruits, vegetables, yogurt and light cheese, whole-grain cookies, seeds and nuts. For snacks, you can buy breads or light snacks.

You should not “hide” forbidden food from your child, let alone eat it secretly. A bad example is contagious, and children learn to lie as quickly as they learn to hide from their parents’ eyes to eat something unhealthy.

It is much better to choose a day and time when this “forbidden” is allowed for all family members, and enjoy this time and new flavors together.

Don’t force your child to eat

Don’t force your child to finish everything. This is an echo of the past that does not do any good. A child’s stomach is smaller than an adult’s and fills up more easily.

It is better to let the child eat as much as he is really hungry. This way you will teach him to control his own appetite and food pauses.

But it is important not to give in to begging for food or especially sweets an hour or two after the main meal. This may indicate that the child is not full. By allowing him sweets, you risk accustoming him to inadequate eating habits.

Be a good example

The best way to help your child lose weight at any age is to establish healthy eating and physical activity as a family. Children need the same nutrients as adults, so make sure your overall diet is balanced.

Minimal physical activity is also necessary for everyone in the family. Make it a regular walk, but at least an hour a day.

Speak positively and respectfully about your body and your child’s body. Comment on the incredible abilities in the human body and their variability instead of criticizing certain physical traits.