by Connie Limon

Created on: February 24, 2007   Last Updated: April 30, 2007

Childhood Obesity Treatment Plan

Children need extra nutrients and calories to help them grow and develop. However, the extra calories it takes to feed children all the nutrients they need has to be balanced with activity to burn excess calories and fat. Calories not burned efficiently increase the risk for childhood obesity.

Small changes can make a difference in your child's health. Since parents are normally the ones who buy food, cook food and decide where food is eaten, the burden rest upon parents to provide healthy choices. Success of weight maintenance or weight loss largely depends upon the parent's commitment to helping the child make appropriate changes.

The method for maintaining weight or losing weight is about the same for children as adults with the exception that children do need more nutrients in their daily diet. Consequently, the goal should be to feed your child a healthy diet and find ways to increase activity. If weight loss is needed, it should be slow at the rate of 1 pound a week to 1 pound a month, depending on the child's situation. Healthy eating and exercise habits should be thought of as a pair, one cannot go without the other, for your child's best of health.

Review the following tips for methods of maintaining weight or losing weight:

Choose fruits and vegetables over convenience foods high in sugar and fat.
Keep healthy snacks available rather than cookies, candy and cake.
Never use food as a reward or punishment. Food is used as rewards for training of dogs, but not children.
Limit sweet beverages including beverages that contain fruit juice. These drinks provide little nutritional value, usually are high in calories and can make the child feel too full to eat healthier foods.
Select recipes and methods of cooking lower in fat. An example would be to bake chicken rather than frying it.
Place colorful food on the table such as green and yellow vegetables, fruits of various colors and brown whole grain bread. Limit white carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bleached bread and desserts with sugar.
Make mealtime a family event, a time to share news and tell stories. Do not allow eating in front of the television or computer that creates mindless munching. Do not run after toddlers and children forcing food into their mouths.
Limit eating out especially at fast-food restaurants.
Discourage eating meals in front of a T.V. or computer screen and video games. This can lead to eating fast and a lowered awareness of how much the child is

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