Tips for Overweight School-aged Children
- Encourage increased physical activity and play time
- Model good eating habits
- Limit “screen time” i.e. – computer/television/video games w less than 2 hrs daily
- Remove television and other “screens” from the child’s bedroom
- Seek professional help for your child if his BMI-for-age is > 94th percentile
- Include food sources of linoleic acid (Omega 6s) such as vegetable oils, seeds, nuts, whole grains; and alpha-linolenic acid (Omega 3s) such as flaxseed, soy, and canola oils
- Include 2 servings of fish each week
- Limit intake of fruit juice, sugar-sweetened beverages and foods, and salt
- For children over 2 yrs, limit foods high in saturated fats (<7% total calories/day), cholesterol (<300mg/day) and trans fatty acids (<1% total calories per day)
- Increase food sources of soluble fiber such as legumes, grains, fruits, & vegetables
- Professionals skilled in motivational behavior interviewing is a useful tool
- Use tools such as http://www.choosemyplate.gov/ to help track food and make it fun
- Limit food choices that are brought into the home
- Enlist the child to help plan and prepare healthy meals
- Include the child in setting health goals
- Reward good behavior with non-food prizes
- Acknowledge milestones achieved in weight goals
Brown JE. Nutrition Through the Life Cycle. 4th Edition. 2011. Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. p. 319-323.