Buzz At Bob's Article - Help Your Child Stay at a Healthy Weight
Help Your Child Stay At A Healthy Weight
Help your child – and your whole family – eat healthy and stay physically active. The healthy habits your child learns now can last a lifetime.
What can I do to help my child stay at a healthy weight?
Help your child stay at a healthy weight by balancing what your child eats with physical activity. Two of the best ways to prevent overweight and obesity in your child are to eat healthier foods and to get more active as a family. Parents are often the most important role models for children. When you eat right and are physically active, your child will be more likely to make these choices, too. Plus, getting active and eating healthy as a family will help you spend more quality time together.
Why do I need to worry about my child’s weight?
Americans are getting heavier. Today, most adults are overweight or obese. Children are becoming heavier, too.
Overweight and obesity in children can lead to serious problems, like:
Being overweight as a child increases the risk of being overweight or obese as an adolescent and young adult. In other words, many kids don’t “grow out of” being overweight.
Is My Child at a Healthy Weight?
Children grow at different rates, so it’s not always easy to tell if your child is at a healthy weight. Overweight is defined differently for children and teens than it is for adults.
Ask your child’s doctor or nurse whether your child is at a healthy weight.
What if My Child is Overweight or Obese?
Successful weight management programs for kids include counseling and education about eating a healthy diet and getting physically active. Parents have an important role to play in these programs, too.
Talk to your child’s doctor or nurse for more information.
Brought to you by the National Health Information Center - NHIC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
