Shocking truth about childhood obesity.

It is shocking how many kids are overweight in the UK. We always or I always hear the numbers but let us face it numbers only count if you are doing something about it. For now, let us forget about the numbers let us talk how to fix the problem. Let us talk about what you can do with your child and the numbers will take care of them self.

It can be hard as parent to tell if your child is overweight. Remember a child may of look heavy to be overweight. However, there are many things you can do help your child reach a healthy weight and or maintain a healthy weight. The first thing I will mention is my Facebook group natural fitness for beginners as it has a children folder which has been used by many people and the feedback has been fantastic, I urge you to come and take a look it has the eat well plates, exercises, fun games and many more fun activities for children’s.

It has been shown that children who maintain a healthy weight do tend to be fitter and healthier, and are better able to learn, and are more self-confident, this all leads to having an increase IQs and better reading ability. They are less likely to be bullied, less likely to have a low self-esteem, less likely to develop obesity related diseases later in life such as diabetes, strokes, and heart attacks.

Start with yourself, set a good example, play with your child from an early age and encourage physical activities. Remember portion size is your friend fruit and vegetables as snacks. Eat healthy meals and encourage water as hydration. Limit televisions d other electronic especially closer to bedtimes. Encourage story times and book reading, practice good sleep hygiene (read my blog on sleep hygiene)

Breaking it down

With yourself, your child will copy you, what you feed your child, your child will eat. Do not change your child diet without changing yours. This way it will be easier for the child to accept the recent changes. Be active and eat healthy yourself.

Turn off your devices before the child’s bedtime to encourage good behaviour and to get into a good sleeping pattern. Take a daily walk, jog, cycle, swim. Show your child that being physically active is fun and make it feel like they are missing out if you find it hard to start them off. But

If your child is overweight and not active, they do not need to work any harder or any longer than a child of the same age at a healthy weight. If parents can reduce the amount of time that their child or children are sitting or laying around, then their health will become better as the more stationary they are the more likely they will gain weight. This can be achieved by limiting screen time to a maximum of two ½ hours a day.

Encourage and reward good behaviour

With praise, but then a new book do not reward with food and or drink. As a larger child they will naturally burn more calories through being physically active than a child the same age at a. Healthy weight. All children should aim for a minimum of sixty minutes of exercise per day. This can be broken down into smaller instalments. Playing fun games in the house, garden, local park, swimming bath, will all add up each day to having good physical activities boosting the children mental and physical health.

Playing hit, stuck in the mud, football, skipping, bike riding, dancing, walking to school, skateboarding are just some games you can play to encourage physical activities.

Look for after school activities such as martial arts and youth centres. Some Local youth centres DO have local funding available. Speak to your local council to find out Moore.

I would highly recommend with fussy eaters to include them in the full process. So, get them to design their plate on paper using my plate guild, and the printable activity sheets on my Facebook group natural fitness for beginners. Get them to help choose from the list of foods, draw them colour them in.

Let them help with the shopping. The same as teaching them to read a food label and how to select the best products. How to prepare, cook and plate their food. Most of that will depend on your time and the age of the child. However, you can always play a shopping game at home, along with pretend cooking.

Avoid giving your child big portions,

use your judgment wisely and use the eat well guild or eat well plate as guilds. Remember do not force your child to finish their plate if they are full, they are full. Obviously if their room for dessert there’s room for vegetables or fruit. You should try and get your child to eat more slowly especially if they are fast eater and have set mealtimes. Eating as a family is important to build stronger family ties and sets a good example. Use this time to instruct your child about living healthy, being physically active, you can use my blogs as a guild.

Ok so five a day the good news 5 A Day should not be too difficult. Almost all fruit and vegetables count towards the 5 A Day, including fresh, tinned, frozen and dried. Juices, smoothies, beans, and pulses also count. However, 100% vegetable and fruit juice along with smoothie will only count as one portion of the five a day only ever give one of these once a day and then fresh fruit and veggies for the remaining five a day.

An example is if they have two glasses of fruit juice and a smoothie in 1 day, that still only counts as one portion 150ml per day is the maximum they should have When fruit is blended or juiced, it releases the sugars, which increases the risk of tooth decay. So, it is best to drink fruit juice or smoothies at mealtimes.

Eating healthy meals with your children so both the parent and child are not just eating together as a family unit but also setting good examples. Fruit and vegetable are major source of fibre and vitamins and minerals.

Teach your child how to eat healthy and limit their sugary and high fat foods, as these foods and drinks tend to be high in calories and low in nutrients. It is important to teach your child the reasons why eating is important and what we eat is important. Your child should get most of their daily calories from healthier foods such as fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and protein, whole grains.

Do not put or allow electronic in children’s bedrooms

info@acsnutrition.co.uk