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10 ways to help kids
maintain a healthy weight
Alice Hyde’s
Medical Minute
Scan this code with your smartphone to hear Dr. Ordonez
explain the 5-2-1-0 rule for kids’ health.
IT’S
no secret that obesity in
children has become a serious
problem in this country. In fact,
nearly 1 out of every 3 children is
overweight or obese, according to the
U.S. surgeon general. But even with
these alarming statistics, it doesn’t
mean we want to scare or force our
children into being healthier.
So what’s a parent or grandparent
to do? How can we help ensure that
we are raising happy, healthy kids?
For starters, think about how kids
operate. “Our children
learn from us, and
they like to have
a good time,” says
Julia Ordonez, MD,
board-certified in
pediatrics. “As moms
and dads, grandpas
and grandmas, we can
take that information and help make
our households healthier—one small,
fun step at a time.”
Encouraging physical activity,
serving nutritious foods, and limiting
television and computer time are
all keys to helping a child maintain
a healthy weight. The following are
some creative ways for families to
make positive strides in all those areas.
Play every day
Being physically active can help
children thrive and control their
weight. It makes bones and muscles
stronger and is a boon to a child’s
emotional well-being.
Experts say kids should be active
for at least 60 minutes a day—that
may sound like a lot, but 15 minutes
here and there can add up quickly.
Here are some ideas
that combine fun and
fitness:
1
Invite the
neighbors to play tag
in the yard.
2
Map out a
course—you could
use a paper map or a
GPS—and walk, jog,
bike or hike it.
3
Hit a bucket of
golf balls at a driving range.
4
Make spelling practice a blast by
doing it while jumping rope.
5
On cold or rainy days, turn the
house into an exercise circuit. Set
a timer and have family members
move from one station to another.
Be creative. Kids might enjoy hula
hooping in the kitchen, doing jumping
jacks in the laundry room or scaling
the stairs like a mountain climber.
Prime their palate
Getting kids to eat better can be a
practice in patience and persistence.
You’ll need both of those, but along
the way, try to help kids see the
pleasure in healthy eating as well.
6
Have a tasting party to introduce
the family to new varieties of fruits
and vegetables.
7
Look for farms or farmers markets
in the area where kids can experience
food at its freshest.
8
Encourage kids to adorn their
plates with color. Explain that brightly
colored foods—such as orange carrots,
green spinach and red strawberries—
are especially good for them.
9
Make a good-for-you cookbook
with your kids. Gather healthy recipes
from magazines, cookbooks and
websites. Take some of your family
favorites and see if you can adjust
them to reduce the fat, salt and sugar
content without sacrificing flavor.
0
Decorate personalized water cups
to encourage drinking water rather
than sugar-sweetened beverages.
Have kids use markers, glitter and
stickers to make their cups special.
Be a role model
“You are so
important in the
eyes of your children
and grandchildren,”
says Emile Benardot,
MD, board-certified
in pediatrics. “If
youngsters see you enjoying new
foods and turning off the TV to do
something fun and active, they are
more likely to do the same.”
Sources: American Academy of Pediatrics; National Association for
Sport and Physical Education; Office of the Surgeon General; YMCA
of the USA
Emile
Benardot, MD
Julia
Ordonez, MD