Your Child's Weight:
Help Your Child with Successful Weight Management (Part 2)

Support an Active Lifestyle

All family members should help select family activities as well as their own pursuits. Here are some ways parents can support a physical lifestyle:

• Buy birthday and holiday presents that promote movement, such as roller skates, frisbees, a croquet set, or a softball and glove.
• Involve your extended family and friends in your activities.
• Emphasize fun, not skill.
• Volunteer for physical activity events at your child's school.
• Find activities in your community, such as hiking trails, swimming pools, skating rinks, etc.
• Plan parties and vacations around movement and play. Instead of a birthday outing at the movies, how about miniature golf, or roller skating? Or a vacation that includes swimming, camping, canoeing, hiking, etc.?

Everyday Ideas

Your family doesn't have to launch into a vigorous exercise regime to expend more energy. Try making changes in your everyday routine: walk instead of drive, park further from the store, or take the stairs instead of the elevator. Everyone can help do yard work, washing the car, and housecleaning. Try to schedule active times into your daily and weekly schedule. For example, each day after school and work, the family can go for a walk, ride bikes, or play Frisbee. On rainy days maybe everyone can exercise along with Mom's fitness video, or just put on fast music and dance.

Many active families pick a special activity for the weekend: flying kites, playing tennis, swimming, ice skating, etc. Help your kids find activities that appeal to them, and help them pursue those interests through lessons, clubs, teams, and/or camps. Remember that some kids enjoy team sports and events while others prefer to participate in solitary or family-only activities.

Eat for Health

Experts agree that kids shouldn't be placed on highly restricted diets. Instead of going on (and off) diets, most people who control their weight view food as a tool they use to feel good and healthy. They have modified what they eat, how much they eat, and how they feel and behave regarding food.

Guidelines for Lifetime Weight Management

While no foods are "off limits," a sensible, healthy eating plan highlights foods that have moderate amounts of fat, sugar, and sodium. Use the Food Pyramid (see box) as a guide for food choices, and include a variety of foods, especially whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits. Be careful to limit portion sizes of foods high in calories, such as cookies, cakes, and other sweets, and fats, oils, and spreads. Here are some tips to work toward these goals:

• Use less fat in cooking and at the table
• Choose lean cuts of meat
• Prepare foods (and order out) in ways that don't add fat—bake, roast, poach, grill
• Avoid fried foods, heavy cream or butter sauces
• Use low or no-fat dairy products and cheeses (except for kids younger than two)
• Combine "new" foods with "favorite" foods: mix bran cereal with the 'fun' cereal your kids are used to; have low-fat ice cream with fruit on top
• Drink water instead of soda or fruit drinks
• Remember breakfast, but forget traditional ideas. How about a slice of left-over veggie pizza, a fruit smoothie with low-fat milk, or low-fat peanut butter on whole wheat toast?

Healthy Habits

• Don't draw attention to healthy foods you've purchased.
• Eat meals together so you can be a role model. Make meals a pleasant time to discuss your day, not a time for lecturing or punishing.
• Don't eat in front of the television.
• Stock your kitchen with healthy lunch and snack foods (raisins, popcorn, fruit, etc.), and store the cookies out of sight.
• Rethink the way you eat and shop. Have vegetables, beans, or pasta as the focus of your meal, with meat as a side dish.
• Serve healthy snacks and have smaller meals.
• Involve the kids in planning, shopping, and preparing meals, snacks, and school lunches using the Food Pyramid (see "Food Groups") as a guide. Research shows find that kids usually eat the dishes they fix, and that parents do too!
• Don't use food as punishment or reward.
• Help your child consider healthy choices in places he eats, such as the school cafeteria or fast food restaurants.
• Choose smaller sizes, share side orders, set aside half of a restaurant dinner for lunch the next day
• Don't overly restrict sweets or treats—try "everyday" and "sometimes" foods

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