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HOW TO HELP
CHILDREN WHO ARE
OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE
• If a child is already overweight
than the main thing is to try
and prevent them gaining any
more weight and then to try and
reduce their weight.
• Things like keeping children
physically active, limiting their
time watching TV (especially
when eating as they tend to
not sense how much they are
eating), and being careful about
portion sizes are all important
ways of preventing further
increase in weight.
• When possible make sure
children do not skip meals as
this will make them eat more at
any given meal.
• Children are also really
interested in, and tend to copy,
what we as parents and adults do
– so parents and relatives can try
and demonstrate healthy eating
to set a good example.
• Remember, there is no single
method that works to reduce the
weight of an obese child. It needs
efforts in different zones of a
child and young person’s life.
• One way of thinking about risk
in children and young people
is to find evidence of other risk
factors that go along with obesity
– like high blood pressure.
Finding high blood pressure can
help children understand how
big a problem being overweight
is to their health and to help
motivate changes for the future.
• For some young people who
have a significant level of obesity,
bariatric surgery might also be
helpful.
TIPS FOR
PARENTS
WORRIED
ABOUT THEIR
CHILDREN’S
WEIGHT
• Setting good examples
for them around food
is important, but also
understanding why
many children tend to
become overweight is
essential.
• Problems with weight
tend to build up slowly
over time and many
families do not notice
until problems are
established. It always
better to share a healthy
lifestyle with your
children even if weight
is not a problem to
ensure that children are
given the best chance at
a healthy and long life.
• Telling children off
and punishing them
for being overweight
is unlikely to help, and
the best approach is for
the whole family to take
part in healthy lifestyle
changes, this includes
eating better and doing
more exercise.
• If you are worried about
your child’s weight,
then seeking advice and
support from a health
professional such as a
doctor or a dietician can
be helpful.
H
Credit: Dr. Lee Hudson
from the Great Ormond
Street Hospital in London
23
Jan/Feb 2016