6 Tips To Maintain A Healthy Weight In Children

Every day I sit down to talk with parents who are worried about what their child is not eating. But when checking the weight of the child we realize that he is overweight.

Then comes the next and most frequent statement:
“But I do not know how my child is overweight if he does not eat anything?”

Many times, we do not realize that the diet we are looking for our children is very rich in calories, such as foods rich in carbohydrates and fat. This accumulation of calories, associated with the low physical activity to which our children are assigned, means that their weight is above what is accepted as the average weight for their age at the American Academy of Pediatrics.

The so-called “fast food” which is very rich in flavor and calories, is not only very rich in calories, it is very rich in sugars such as sweets, juices and soft drinks.

Why? Let’s start by becoming aware of how we are. We have to teach our children to eat vegetables, salads and fruits from an early age and that this is the main course in our home. Learn to eliminate ‘fast food’ and above all we must teach our children the importance of drinking water.

It is very important to know that children who are overweight are at risk of:

  1. Snoring at night and having problems with sleep: this is why it obstructs the airways and cannot oxidize the body’s blood. This is called sleep apnea.
  2. Suffering from the liver.
  3. Suffer from high blood pressure.
  4. Suffering from back and leg pains.

Tips to maintain a healthy weight:

  1. Talk to your pediatrician and ask what should be the ideal weight your child should have.
  2. Cut down sugary drinks like juices and sodas and drink water instead.
  3. Reduce the amount of carbohydrates you eat in the day.
  4. Breakfast every day: to start the day with lots of energy.
  5. Do not eat late at night.
  6. 30 minutes of physical activity every day: this may include walking for 30 minutes in the neighborhood.

Begin at an early age to teach your children the importance of taking care of what they eat, as it may have future consequences on their health.

-Dr. Denise Núñez is a pediatrician and founder of the Niño de la Caridad Foundation in the Bronx