Ten Idiots Guidelines Recommendation to take care of obesity in children-kids
1) Physical Activity – Do not encourage your pre-adolescent kid (till 18yrs) to participate in adult-style heavy physical activity such as GYM/fitness centers(Honestly Indian fitness industry/trainers is not equipped to handle kids……physical activity has to be different from adults),Generally every Kid is recommended to have 60 minutes of physical activity a day 4-5 times a week, but this does not have to be all at one time.
2) Communication
Communication is best key to help achieve your kid anything in world. Just be available for your children whenever they want you,let your kids know you’re listening. Children speak to their parents not for information(they have google for this),so don’t lecture, criticize, threaten or say hurtful things to your kid.
3) Dominance
Kids like to get dominate or avoid dominance ,Be little strict with your son-daughter, Multiple studies have documented that children who have authoritative parents – that is, both firm disciplinarians and warm, receptive caregivers to do well in life on all fronts.
4) Hire Experts
Do not put your kids on strict diets, they need nutrients to grow. So hire dietitian or nutritionist to plan your kids diet plan .
5) Pin on fridge/study table
Ask your kid to write down their fitness and diet goals and paste them on study table and refrigerator .It helps a lot to motivate your kid and adhere it.
6) Patience
Your daughter or son need lifestyle change not crash course in food, it would take time. There would be lapses -vacations-gaps in staying physically fit, accept it. Fitness is a lifestyle. Do not give up if your child will not eat a new food the first time it is served or miss few exercise session.
7) Lifestyle aim
Try to incorporate fitness or health as a lifestyle not as an education degree or certification. You can hire certified personal trainer and dietitian to understand how you can make your kids life physically active.
8) Chose sports over fitness center
Sports is best way to stay physically active than any commercial fitness center, sports is fun, challenge ,competition, team building experience.
9) Grocery Shopping
Help and educate kids to study food label , let them understand how to study food label, Nutrients values and RDA on food items. Buy and serve more fruits and vegetables, let your child choose them at the store.
10) Rewards
Rewards could be certificate/toy/sports kit/book etc, Avoid giving food eg cake as a reward of staying physical active. But you cannot make them guilty or socially impossible where eating fast food would become crime, to overcome this solution ask them to eat whatever they want every 21 days(that does reflect much on weight scale at the same time motivates brain to stay focus) of balance diet.
Always start with small servings and let your child ask for more if he or she is still hungry. It is up to you to provide your child with healthy meals and snacks, but your child should be allowed to choose how much food he or she will eat………ask them to eat without mobile /gadgets / Television……..Encourage daily physical activity……………………………Do not compare your obese kid with neighbors kids or siblings or their friends……………..Be physical active together as a family, do not expect just your kid to be physically active , Kids follow parents a lot, you are their role models …………..Get a dog if possible……..do active household chores together such as making the tables, washing the car, etc.
Mayur deshpande
personal trainer in Mumbai
