How Parents Can Provide Motivation To Teen Weight Loss

Carrying around too much weight at any age can be troublesome, but it is particularly so for parents who have to deal with child obesity. Parents love their children and only want the best for them, but teen weight loss carries with it a two-edged sword. While wanting to help your child make better food choices and become more active to work off those calories, if you tell them that they need to lose a few pounds it could lead them to feeling even worse about themselves.

No parent wants to do that so it does take some real strategy in order to motivate your child to do what is best for them. This is particularly true because being overweight, even at a young age means that those same kids are at greater risk for developing some serious health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, and asthma. Child obesity can also lead to some emotional disorders that are often directly related to being excluded from activities and teased by peers. All of this can mean lower self-esteem, depression and negative body image.

Understanding some of the causes of child obesity is one of the best tools that parents can have in their arsenal of tools to help them to provide motivation for teen weight loss. It helps to understand that obesity, whether it is the child or adult, in most cases is caused by lack of exercise and eating too much and eating the wrong kinds of foods. Here are some factors that contribute to the phenomenon.

• Families are so busy that they eat out more often and cook at home less.

• Junk food and fast foods that are high in calories and low in nutritional value are cheap and easy to access.

• Kids today are spending more time in front of televisions, computers and playing video games and less time outdoors playing.

• Physical education programs and outdoors activities are being eliminated from many schools.

Healthy habits should begin at home because parents have the most influence on their children from an early age. Child obesity can be prevented or fought against best when the entire family gets involved in getting and maintaining a healthier lifestyle. Helping children to make better choices in the foods they eat must begin at the family table. As the whole family gets involved, the task of teen weight loss becomes easier and the changes that take place are more likely to be long-lasting.

Here is how you can motivate your child if she or he is obese and continue to fight child obesity. Remember, you are the best example your child has, so make the most of it.

• Watch what you are eating: Let your child know about the healthy food you like to eat at the time you are eating it. You could draw attention to the food on your plate by saying, "I love eating broccoli covered in garlic sauce, it tastes so good. Do you want a taste?"

• Watch what you cook: When you cook healthy meals for your family you are fighting child obesity. You can even give your child some cooking tasks that are age-appropriate to help them become more enthusiastic about eating more wisely.

• Get up and move: You should be demonstrating to your child the benefits of exercise by inviting them to exercise with you, even if it is a walk around the block or dancing at home.

• Free time activities: Teen weight loss can be encouraged by avoiding sedentary activities yourself. Spend less time in front of the TV and more time in activities that your kids can enjoy too.

Motivating your kids through your own example is the best way to combat child obesity.

Theresa de Jesus is a health and wellness coach. She is passionate in helping kids challenged by overweight or obesity to create a healthy, active and fun lifestyle. Get your FREE weight loss booster newsletter and learn how you can lose weight the healthy way without feeling deprived. http://weightlossbooster.teenhealthfitnesscoach.com/

Original article

Parents Can Prevent Childhood Obesity

As a parent you are most responsible for what and when your children eat. Kids have very different food requirements than do adults and, while it is certainly true that both adults and kids benefit from a "good" diet, children's bodies are much more susceptible to changes in diet than are adults.

Generally, a healthy balance of food groups for children consists of 25% meat, 50% carbohydrates, and 25% fruits and vegetables. This isn't an absolute rule, many meals can contain more of one and less of another without harm but it is an overall goal. At the end of a normal week, if your kids have eaten about these percentages then you have done a great job parenting!

I will say that it will be much easier both in terms of logistics and family harmony if you change your eating habit to match what you are asking of your children. When the whole family eats the same healthy meals everyone benefits.

Many children are very picky eaters and that can be a real problem. But there are not guaranties that being a parent is easy and you must rise to the occasion. You are the authority and, if necessary, you must issue an ultimatum about meals and what types of foods they eat. It may not be easy but it is for their benefit and they will thank you in years to come.

Your first ultimatum must be to ban sugary and fatty foods from your pantry. No more sugar laced cereals with toys inside and no more fatty after school treats. If you do have to have soda in the house it must be "diet" or "0" calories. The point here is to have only healthy foods on hand.

If your kids are a bit older you aren't going to be able to prevent the occasional soda, candy bars, and fast foods but you can make your home a fat free zone. There is just no reason to spend money on foods that have little or no nutritional value and contribute heavily to childhood obesity.

A really good way to ease the challenge of getting your kids to eat healthy is to put the fruits and vegetables into smoothies. Smoothies are usually very easy to make and are a lot of fun to eat. By using low or no fat ingredients along with either fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables smoothies provide a very low calorie and low fat treat that easily replaces soft drinks and sugary cereals.

Want to know more? Explore hundreds of free fruit and vegetable smoothie recipes at Best Fruit Smoothies.

Original article

Can Parents Control A Kid's Weight? When The Number Of Overweight Kids Has Tripled Since 1980?

The number of overweight children has tripled since 1980. In some socio-ethnic groups as many as half the children are overweight. And, the age of children affected is becoming lower each year. Overweight children are becoming obese at a higher rate. As though these grim statistics were not dismal enough, fasten your seat belt for one more: there is no light at the end of the tunnel.

This is a tragic situation because childhood obesity carries with it a risk of developing other diseases such as diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea, fatty liver, high blood pressure and blood fats, early puberty, and even some cancers.

Overweight and obese children are also more at risk of psychological and emotional problems such as learning and behavior problems, depression, poor self-concept and body image, and they are at risk for developing eating disorders.

Children who have become overweight or obese during childhood are also more likely to become "fat" adults. They have an increased likelihood of developing "adult" complications of obesity because of the number of years they have been overweight.

Why has this occurred and why is it getting worse? There are a variety of factors which are believed to play a part in the obesity epidemic among our children. Consider the following:

• Women have been gaining more weight during pregnancy which predisposes their children to high birth weight and lifelong obesity.

• A decrease in breast-feeding in favor of bottles. Breast feeding has been shown to result in lower incidence of childhood and adult obesity.

• Busy schedules tempt parents to eat out. Out of the home dining typically increases weight because of the fat, sodium, and sugar-laden foods which are offered.

• Most adults are overweight and serve as poor role models for their children.

• Excessive use of electronic items such as video games, computers, and TV cause children to get less exercise and to engage in "mindless eating" while doing nothing.

• Studies indicate that Hispanic children are more likely to be overweight than their non-Hispanic peers. As the Hispanic population grows in the United States, the proportion of overweight children also affects the "numbers".

Only a health care provider can determine for certain if a child is overweight and to what extent and the most healthful approach toward dealing with the problem. It is particularly important for parents to be careful in putting their children on diets of any kind without first consulting the doctor or nurse. The nutritional needs of the growing child must be carefully balanced against the number and make-up of calories consumed.

Stop drinking sugary pop today! Your child be on his way to the ideal weight!

By Sue Bristol, R.N.

My eBook will lead you through the way to make it work for you, and your obese child, or spouse. Here's the "Secret Weight Loss Diet" that virtually EVERY successful dieter uses. (Whether or not they are even aware of it!)

"Click Here" to get your Free e-book, which will give you the "Weight Loss Secret" Kids shouldn't be obese.
http://www.how-to-loseweight-101.com/index1.html

Original article

How To Diet: 4 Mistakes Parents Routinely Make With Their Fat Kids - Teach Them How To Lose Weight

There is no doubt about it...we love our kids! We'd throw ourselves under the bus for them in a heartbeat if necessary to protect them. Why then do we seem to be in a fog when it comes to the reality that our children are overweight or even obese and that there is no end to this trend in sight? It makes no sense...unless...we are believing things that are not true and failing to grasp those which are.

Let's look at a few of the mistakes parents routinely make about childhood obesity.

1. "It's just baby fat". Unfortunately the connotation of "baby fat" or "angelic chubby-ness" glosses over the reality that a child is overweight or obese. The fact is, health care providers have tools at their disposal, such as BMI (body mass index), for determining whether the weight of your child is within healthy guidelines. Don't ignore your "chubby" child assuming that he will "grow out of it" (or, "grow into" the extra pounds). He may be developing a pattern of weight gain that will follow him through life and predispose him to the diseases that accompany obesity.

2. Don't excuse extra pounds because "our whole family is big-boned". That only serves to muddy the waters. Your child may indeed be overweight. In fact, the whole family may be overweight without knowing that the excess pounds are a result of bad eating styles. Or, your child may be suffering from an internal imbalance that may require the intervention of the doctor at an early age so as to avoid more serious problems. Let your health care provided make the determination whether or not your child is "just chubby".

3. Don't fall into the trap of feeling ashamed to seek help for your child (and yourself). Many parents believe, in error, that the doctor will judge them if they bring their overweight child in for an examination. Never mind the ideas perpetrated by magazines and media "feature programs" that suggest that if one exercises adequate self-control, weight will be normal. There are many, many complex factors that come into play in these hectic times...stress, busy schedules, fast foods, mis-labeling, faulty information, sugar-laden and over-processed foods to name a few. The doctor understands this. He or she will not judge you. Rather, you can expect clear-headed guidance, valuable information, and direction toward resources that can help.

4. Don't ever put your child on the same diet that you are using. Most commercially available "diet plans" are ineffective and potentially dangerous, especially for children. Obesity among children is a national problem and many professionals are working hard to find a solution.

In the meantime, don't lose valuable time...seek help for your child today.

Do you really want to help your child lose weight?

By Sue Bristol, R.N.

My eBook will lead you through the way to make weight loss work for you, and your obese child, or spouse. Here's the "Secret Weight Loss Diet" that virtually EVERY successful dieter uses. (Whether or not they are even aware of it!)

"Click Here" to get your Free e-book, which will give you the "Weight Loss Secret" Kids shouldn't be obese.
http://www.how-to-loseweight-101.com/index1.html

Original article