Originally published February 2 2006
Moms get advice on how to keep children from becoming overweight
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
MOMSense writer Linda Mintle, Ph.D., offers advice to mothers on how to shape their children's meals to keep them at a healthy weight, free of the problems obesity poses to their well-being.
Every day overweight kids like Sarah deal with an unsympathetic culture that tells them to supersize and have it their way without concern for their health or emotional lives.
1. Buy and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.
Fruits and vegetables make up the second layer of the food pyramid, yet these are the least eaten of all the food groups for many kids.
2. Avoid soft drinks and other sugary drinks.
The average soda has 160 calories and 40 grams of sugar---and zero nutrition.
These beverages actually do harm because of the sugar and caffeine involved.
If you don't have soda in the house, kids will drink more milk and water instead.
3. Go low-fat on dairy and cooking oils.
Low-fat is good when it comes to choosing dairy products if your kids are over age 2.
Children under age 2 need the fat from whole milk for brain development.
Use low-fat dressings on salads and buy low-fat cheeses and milk for children older than age 2.
4. Eliminate as much trans fat in your child's diet as you can.
Trans fat occurs naturally in some foods, but most trans fat is added to improve texture and longevity of foods.
The American Heart Association suggests that for children ages 2 and above, a "5+ age" guideline for fiber intake be used.
To follow this guideline means you take the age of your child in addition to 5 extra grams of fiber in order to find how much fiber is right for your child.
By making these dietary changes, the extra calories that contribute to weight gain above and beyond what is normally expected for a child will be minimized.
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