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Ask Advocates: Your Parenting Questions Answered

A Weighty Issue for Kids

By Sponsored by Advocates for Children March 26, 2015
Do you have a question for the experts at Advocates for Children? Email kaytd@macaronikid.com with "Ask Advocates" in the subject line. (Please note: If we select your question for inclusion in the Ask Advocates column, your name or any identifying characteristics will not be included.)

A Parent Asks: My son is overweight and is not into sports. We eat well at home and he says he hardly even eats school lunch. I don't really know how to help him lose weight but know he needs to because friends make fun of him now. How can you help a kid handle his weight better without saying he isn't perfect the way he is?

Advocates Answers: Helping your son have a positive self-image is so important – good for you for tackling this tricky issue. Your son will definitely thank you for it in the long run when he is confident, healthy and feels good about his body. 

Try to approach your son’s weight from the perspective of helping him to be healthy and to feel his best. According to Dr. Alice Walton ‘Being overweight is a psychologically loaded issue for a child (as for anyone else): Self-esteem, self-worth, and popularity can be wrapped up in it, so it’s especially important to come at the weight loss endeavor as productively and positively as possible.” Try to think about this not as a ‘weight loss’ plan but as a way for your whole family to be healthier. It sounds like your family is already aware of healthy food options at home, which is great. Kids are most influenced by what their parents eat and what is available to eat in the home. Ensuring that food is healthy is a huge step in encouraging a healthy life style. 

Your son is still growing and will need a solid nutritional foundation to maintain that growth. Be sure to discuss your concerns with your son’s pediatrician first, then consider trying the following suggestions: 
  • Eat meals together as a family so you can slow down the pace of eating and control portion sizes. A study showed that kids who ate most of their meals with their family were less likely to be overweight. As an added bonus, try cooking healthy meals together so your son can learn how to prepare healthy food himself. 
  • If your son is not into sports, what activities does he enjoy that would get him moving? Does he like to ride his bike, skateboard, swim or run around with the family pet? Maybe he would be into something less team oriented like yoga or karate. Or maybe you could take family walks or play in the snow together a couple of times a week. If your son is having fun while being active he is more likely to incorporate exercise into his life. 
  • If your son enjoys technology (and what kid doesn’t) consider using an app to help him track what he eats. This option is best suited for older children and should be presented as a way to think more critically about what foods he and your whole family are eating. Check out this article for a kid friendly app. 
By focusing on the health and well-being of your family your son won’t feel that he is being singled out to lose weight. By making ‘health’ a family value your son will come to understand that being healthy means respecting ourselves enough to care for our bodies so that we feel our best. 

For more information check out these links: 

Looking for a fun family event? Advocates for Children will be hosting Breakfast with Spider-Man with a focus on health and fitness: 
April 11 from 8:00 to 10:00 am

Enjoy Breakfast with Spider-Man as he presents information about fun things children and families can do to stay fit and healthy.

Bring your cameras and wear your favorite Spider-Man clothing! Each child will have an opportunity to take a photo with Spider-Man and learn how to “shoot some web”!

Spider-Man items will be raffled (bicycles, sleeping bags, books, etc.).

Pre-registration and pre-payment are required. Tickets will NOT be sold at the door.
For more information or to reserve your seats call 207-783-3990.