Here are popular tips for Obesity management in children

Children can reach a healthy weight and grow well with support from their parents and family. When the whole family makes healthy lifestyle choices, everyone benefits. Eating nutritious food, cutting down on fast food, staying active, and seeking professional advice can all make a difference. Things like crash diets, appetite suppressants, or teasing an overweight child don’t help and can actually do harm.

Many children start gaining excess weight during their primary school years, and this can be a big concern because children who are overweight often stay that way as adults. The biggest influence on what children eat and how active they are is their parents. Small changes at home can have a huge impact.

Is your child overweight or obese?

One way to check is by using the Body Mass Index (BMI). This is a tool that calculates whether someone is underweight, healthy, or overweight based on their height and weight. However, for children, BMI changes with age and development, so it’s important to use special BMI-for-age charts for kids. These charts also take gender into account.

• Underweight: below the 3rd percentile
• Healthy weight: 3rd to 85th percentile
• Overweight: 85th to 95th percentile
• Obese: above the 95th percentile

Talk to your doctor

Growth charts and BMI are just guides. If you’re concerned about your child’s weight, it’s a good idea to check in with your doctor. They can give you a more accurate assessment and suggest the best steps to take.

Make changes for the whole family

Improving the whole family’s eating habits and activity levels makes it easier for an overweight child to adopt healthier habits. Here are some simple ideas:

• Seek nutrition advice: Look for trusted sources to guide you in making healthier food choices for the family.
• Shop smart: Stock your pantry with healthy snacks and limit treats high in fat and sugar. Opt for low-fat versions of dairy products like milk and cheese.
• Eat breakfast: Make sure everyone starts the day with a healthy breakfast. Wholegrain cereals, low-fat milk, and fruit are great choices.
• Healthy snacks: Snacks are fine, just keep them nutritious. Fruits and veggies are excellent options.
• Reduce sugary drinks: Encourage drinking water or low-fat milk instead of sugary soft drinks.
• More veggies: If your child doesn’t like veggies, try incorporating them in creative ways, like grating carrots into pasta sauce.
• Smaller portions: Serve smaller amounts of food at meals. Over time, even small reductions can make a big difference.
• Limit takeout: Cut back on fast food, which is often high in salt and fat. Try to cook at home more often.
• Plan ahead: Preparing meals in advance can prevent the temptation to rely on takeout. Cook extra and freeze meals for later.
• Mealtime matters: Make family mealtime enjoyable and involve everyone in preparing healthy meals.
• Get extended family involved: Encourage grandparents and other caregivers to offer healthy snacks and meals, too.

Get active together

Being active is more fun when you do it as a family, and it benefits everyone. Here are a few tips:

• Be a role model: Kids are more likely to be active if they see their parents being active.
• Encourage play: Make sure kids have plenty of time for outdoor play.
• Do activities together: Go on family walks, bike rides, play sports, or swim together. School-aged children should aim for at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day. Try to find at least 30 minutes of active time for the whole family.
• Limit screen time: Cut down on TV and computer games to less than two hours a day for school-aged children, and less than an hour for preschoolers.
• Reward with activities: Instead of food rewards, plan fun outings or activities as treats.

What to avoid

Certain strategies can be harmful or ineffective. Stay away from:

• Setting weight goals: Focus on healthy eating and physical activity rather than targeting specific weight loss goals.
• Crash diets: These can deprive growing children of important nutrients. Instead, aim for small, daily changes.
• Making drastic changes: Big changes to diet and lifestyle can be hard for kids to handle. Start with small, sustainable steps.
• Appetite suppressants: Weight-loss pills are not safe for children.
• Teasing: Ridiculing or humiliating a child for being overweight will only hurt their confidence and won’t help them lose weight.

Tips for school

• Talk to the school nurse if you’re concerned about your child’s weight.
• Check the school’s food policies: Make sure healthy eating messages are supported at school.
• Pack healthy lunches: Avoid packing high-fat snacks like chips. Encourage water as the main drink.
• Promote healthy choices at the school canteen. Get involved with other parents to ensure there are nutritious options available.

• Dietitians Australia
• The Royal Children’s Hospital

NB// By making gradual changes and involving the whole family, you can help your child achieve and maintain a healthy weight in a supportive, positive way.