Keeping Your Kids at a Healthy Weight

A healthy weight is simply the range where a child is neither too thin nor carrying too much extra. Every so often a doctor will suggest that a child drop a few pounds or at least stop gaining more, and that advice shows up often with kids who are overweight or managing diabetes. Taking steps to handle weight tends to pay off quickly: energy feels better, and blood pressure and glucose numbers usually move in the right direction.

Habits built young stick around. A kid who learns how to manage weight now has a much easier time doing it for the rest of their life, and the payoff includes a lower chance of high blood pressure and heart trouble down the road.

So how do you actually get there? If a doctor says some weight needs to come off, the formula is familiar: fewer calories going in, more movement across the day.

Aim for roughly an hour of activity daily. Ride a bike or play tag instead of parking in front of a screen. Trade an hour of TV for a walk, and bring along a friend or someone from the family so it feels less like a chore.

Trim calories where it barely hurts. Calories measure the energy food gives you, and shaving somewhere around 200 to 300 a day adds up. A big glass of water in place of soda or juice drops about 150. A smaller order of fries instead of the large cuts roughly 250. Reach for a piece of fruit rather than a candy bar and you save around 200.

Keep portions modest, and make water your drink at both meals and snacks. Plain water has no calories at all. Sugar-free soda or sugar-free fruit drinks work when you want something with flavor.

A dietitian is worth finding. Someone who does this for a living can help the whole family plan meals that make sense. And the goal is slow: a pound or two a month is plenty when a kid is still growing. Very low-calorie diets are a bad idea for children and teenagers, because a body that doesn't get enough food may not grow or develop the way it should.

A few eating habits help. Eat slower. If you still feel hungry, wait ten or fifteen minutes before a second helping, since that's about how long the stomach takes to signal that it's full. Pitch in with the shopping, planning, or cooking once in a while; it turns into decent family time. Load half the plate with vegetables or salad, and go light on the butter, margarine, or dressing. Save sweets, desserts, candy, and sugary foods for now and then, and keep the serving tiny.

Breakfast sets up the day. Fruit, a bowl of whole grain cereal, and a glass of low-fat milk is a solid start and helps with school. Short on time? Whole grain toast with peanut butter works, or a hard-boiled egg. A breakfast bar with a glass of nonfat or low-fat milk is fast and does the job too.

At the school cafeteria, skip the fried stuff when you can. Pick low-fat or nonfat milk over chocolate milk, and fruit over a cookie. If there's a salad bar, go for high-fiber fruits and vegetables plus low-fat protein, with a low-calorie dressing. A sub or small deli sandwich made with low-fat beef or turkey is a good call, using mustard or low-fat mayo. Packing lunch from home beats the cafeteria line when that's an option.

Most kids want something after school. Choose a healthy snack, and put it in a small bowl or on a plate rather than eating straight from the bag so you can see how much you've had. Don't snack while staring at a screen, since that's an easy way to eat more than you meant to.

Fast food doesn't have to wreck things. Skip the supersize unless the family is splitting it. Order a kid-sized meal with water or low-fat milk. A plain burger or grilled chicken sandwich beats the version piled with cheese, bacon, and special sauce. A baked potato with a little sour cream and butter is fine. With pizza, go thin crust over stuffed or deep dish, hold it to a slice or two, and add a side salad with a bit of dressing. Baked chips in place of regular ones round it out.

- Erin