Let's help your child lose weight: diet and exercise complex for weight loss. How to reduce overweight child

How to lose weight for a child? Why do children gain weight? What are the dangers of being overweight and childhood obesity? These questions are answered by a pediatrician of the first category, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Medisvit Medical Centers Tatyana Sergeevna Polishchuk.

16:17 6.05.2014

How to lose weight for a child: child weight norms

Parents certainly need to know that the most intense accumulation of fat occurs in infants under 1 year old, at the age of 5-7 years, in adolescents 12-17 years old. Moreover, only 1% of children are overweight due to genetic or endocrine pathology.

All other cases of obesity in children are associated with excessive intake of food in the body or with an unbalanced diet, in other words, with overeating, or with an incorrect sedentary lifestyle.

By 6 months of age, the baby should double its original weight, by 12 months - triple. After a year, children gain about 2 kg per year (up to 5 years). At the age of 5, the average weight is 18-22 kg, at 10 years old 28-34 kg, at 12 years old 36-45 kg. An approximate calculation of the body weight of a child from 2 to 5 years old can be carried out according to the following formula: M \u003d 10 + 2n, where n is the child's age in years.

After 10 years, the annual increase is 4 kg, the formula for calculating will be: M \u003d 30 + 4 (n-10), where 30 is the average weight of a child at 10 years old, n is the age of the child. Pediatricians have special tables for assessing the weight and height of the child.

Obesity has long been recognized as a disease. In medicine, obesity (overnutrition) is defined as a chronic disease characterized by generalized excessive accumulation of fat in the subcutaneous tissue and other tissues of the body, weight gain, and metabolic disorders.

Why are doctors so worried when a child gains excess weight?

Yes, because if appropriate measures are not taken in time to normalize weight, it can come into adulthood already with a whole range of serious diseases: increased blood pressure, disruption of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, diabetes mellitus, fatty degeneration of the liver, cholelithiasis, pathology of the sexual systems.

Obesity occurs when calorie intake exceeds energy expenditure. The most important factor in the increase in the incidence of obesity is the consumption of high-fat foods, as well as a rich diet high in easily digestible carbohydrates, especially in the evening. It is difficult to deny that today the decrease in physical activity is rapidly progressing: children spend more and more time in front of the TV, at the computer, less and less prefer walking and outdoor games.

How to lose weight for a child: top tips

The first and most difficult step for parents is to admit that their child is overweight. If parents are aware of the fact that a child needs help with weight loss, this is already half the battle on the road to success. The second point is the realization that the fight against obesity is a long process, psychologically difficult for the child and his family members.

Food for a child can become, first of all, a source of pleasure, a way of avoiding problems at school or in the family, “jamming” of complexes - as a result, the development of overweight, obesity, diabetes, etc. And here it can be difficult for parents to understand the essence of the problem. Psychologists and psychotherapists will come to the rescue.

A difficult task for parents is to explain to the child why it is necessary to change his eating habits. By no means can it be said that his diet has changed because he is fat. When telling your child about food, explain that we owe good health and health to the foods we eat, that food should be healthy and complete.

As a rule, children of overweight parents become overweight due to the "inheritance" of eating habits. It is in the family that we get used to eating this way and not otherwise. Have you ever wondered where sweets, cakes, cookies come from in your house? That's right, you bought it yourself.

The habit of buying “something sweet for tea” takes root very quickly, but this is definitely not the tradition that will bring peace and harmony to the family. Try instead of sweets to buy more fruits, vegetables, greens, fish, natural meat.

Parents have always been proud of chubby babies. But as the child grows older, his figure becomes a serious problem that cannot be avoided. Over the past years, more and more children suffer from overweight, and even obesity. Therefore, the question of how to lose weight for a child of 8 years old at home is becoming more and more relevant. Children begin to gain weight from a very early age, but weight problems begin only at school and worsen by puberty. Effective weight loss in a child will require the mobilization of the entire family.

Reasons for child gaining excess weight

In childhood, the main reason why children develop obesity, experts without exception call overfeeding. But in some cases, it is further exacerbated by a genetic predisposition to excess weight. Inaccuracies in nutrition also complement the onset of obesity - today's children consume too much fast food, fried and fatty foods, sweet and carbonated drinks.

If a child leads a fairly active lifestyle, then progress in his excess weight may not be observed, and by the age of 10, the weight completely reaches the norm. But for some, obesity is carried over into adolescence.

Basic principles of weight loss

Due to the characteristics of the pre-adolescent age of 7-11 years, the use of any diet for weight loss is prohibited. Therefore, the emphasis should be on proper and nutritious nutrition. Moreover, if the child has a clear overweight, then the actions of the parents should be as careful and delicate as possible. The basic principles of action are as follows:

1. The child should be taken to a consultation with a pediatric nutritionist. The doctor first examines the young body for any malfunctions in its work. In cases where problems with the thyroid gland or metabolism are detected, the specialist will prescribe the drugs necessary to normalize the condition.
2. The weight of the child must be monitored regularly. This can be done weekly or monthly for monitoring and treatment results.
3. In no case should you remind a child about his problems with weight, so as not to develop a number of complexes in him. Scolding a child about completeness is strictly prohibited.
4. All high-calorie foods - sweet, fried, flour, chips, etc. - should be excluded from the children's diet. They lead to aggravation of fullness.
5. A suitable diet must be organized for the child - breakfast, lunch and dinner in combination with visiting sports sections, with the exception of sitting at computers.

So, in order to lose weight for a child of 8 years old at home, the problem must be approached with all responsibility. The younger the child, the easier it will be to solve this problem.

How to choose a diet and nutrition for weight loss for a child of 8 years

As mentioned above, any diet is dangerous for a growing body. At the same time, overweight children are completely picky about food, which further complicates the selection of a suitable menu for them. The main condition for the successful weight loss of an 8-year-old child is the transition to a balanced diet for the whole family. Moreover, the food should, with its usefulness, remain tasty so that the child does not refuse it.

It is especially important to include fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet, especially since kids always sympathize with bright foods. The menu may include vegetables with different shades. Olive oil is the best for dressing salads. Ready meals should look appetizing. At the same time, the use of store-bought juices will have to be limited due to the content of preservatives and sugar in them.

For obese children, semi-finished products, of course, can be included in the menu, but in minimal quantities and not fatty. The basis of the menu should be products with starch - rice, potatoes and cereals. But it is better to exclude bread and pasta altogether, and impose restrictions on salt and spices.

Consistency and consistency are important in dietary treatment. To lose weight for an 8-year-old child at home, it is necessary to adjust his diet and exclude the possibility of night and evening overeating. Restrictions will also apply to sugar and confectionery. Portions of potatoes (as a side dish) must be reduced by a third, replacing it with vegetables.

Foods to be excluded from the diet

It is better not to accustom children to forbidden foods from childhood, and not to wean them later. Indeed, from an early age, both the manner of eating and taste preferences are laid in them. If overweight, the following products are excluded:

- ice cream, cookies and pastries;

- sweet synthetic drinks;

- mayonnaise, seasonings;

- fried foods;

- fatty foods

- high-calorie desserts.

Physical exercises for weight loss of a child

First of all, any aspirations of the child to participate in games and mobility should be encouraged. He needs to walk as much as possible so that the loads maintain muscle tone. An active lifestyle should be supported by the whole family.

A child should do a set of simple weight loss exercises about 3 times a week. They will not take more than 40 minutes. Then the frequency gradually increases. Training should focus on:

- mobility;

- endurance;

- muscle development and strength;

- coordination and dexterity.

It is better to start the lesson with a short walk, during which the knees should rise as high as possible. For more effective weight loss of children, they can be offered exercises on children's sports complexes and attachments for them.

In sports, the best stimulus for the child will be the personal example of the parents. At the same time, classes should be a pleasure, so excessive demands in such a situation are meaningless.

The age range from 7 years to 12 (14.5 years) is such an indefinite period, this is prepuberty (the time before puberty). Minimum age of onset of puberty 8 (8.5 years), latest onset 14.5 years
(more often in boys). It is during this period that sex differences appear in the dynamics of weight gain.

Girls gain weight faster and more than boys, which is associated with an earlier onset of puberty. In general, it is during this period that parents mark the debut of obesity, more often the age is called - 8 years. Apparently, it was during this period that the “wrong eating habits” laid down earlier begin to be clearly realized, “stimulated” by the onset of the synthesis of sex hormones and the increased pubertal concentration of insulin, a hormone that helps to absorb glucose.

There is a lot of insulin, both as a result of the "sexual surge" and as a result of overfeeding. It turns out a vicious circle: more insulin - more glucose is absorbed, more glucose - more insulin is produced. It is clear how to break this cycle - reduce your intake of "light" carbohydrates. In all other respects, this age period is intermediate and nothing more remarkable.

An important point about obesity during this period: if an obese girl enters puberty, obesity will cause her to disrupt the formation of the hormonal system, if a boy enters puberty, obesity (unless it is grade 4 obesity) will not lead to a significant disruption of puberty .

Testosterone, in this case, is the magic hormone. It, together with growth hormone (and in boys during puberty it is produced much more than in girls), create a good metabolism for “melting fats”. For girls, the opposite is true. The female hormone - estradiol several times faster promotes the assimilation of the chain of fatty acids and their deposition in fat depots.

During this period, it is important to start accustoming the child to regular sports! to discipline, to self-discipline. It is always important if before the eyes of the child there is an example of an adult. It is important for girls to learn plasticity - dancing, gymnastics. Boys are just discipline, so the sport is not important. The main thing is movement, 3-5 times a week, at least 30 minutes a day.

Now about nutrition. I give an example of a CK1 diet for a given age and a set of allowed foods. It is not difficult to see that this diet "resonates" with the Pevsner 8 diet in adults.

It is necessary to exclude: rich broths, smoked products, spicy and salty snacks, fatty meats and fish, sausages, sausages, fruit juices, soda, chips, crackers, coffee, daily use of sweets, products with xylitol, sorbitol, cakes, pastries, nuts, seeds, mayonnaise , ketchup and other sauces.

Restrict: butter up to 2 tsp, olive and vegetable oil up to 1 tbsp, soups in 2 broths (do not fry vegetables in soup), potatoes, rice, pasta, potatoes (boiled / mashed) up to 6-7 tbsp. l. cooked - these are foods that are eaten only for lunch, eggs in 2-3 days in the form of an omelette, bread 2-3 slices a day (not bourget, not whole grain, mostly rye), legumes 2 times a week, fruits up to 3 pieces per day (bananas after 2-3 days, grapes are limited), refined sugar 1 piece in tea, 2-3 times a day, marmalade on natural juice - 1 piece or marshmallows 1 piece, (as an exception), cookies 2 PCS. type "Maria", jam and jam no more than 1-2 tsp.

Allowed: vegetables, vegetable soups, lean meat and fish (in the form of meatballs, cutlets), stewed, mainly rabbit, beef, turkey, perch, cod (cutlets), cottage cheese up to 5% fat content (natural in the morning, casserole or cheesecakes in the evening ), low-fat cheese, cereals up to 6 tbsp. boiled (except for semolina, rarely wheat), milk, kefir, yogurt up to 2-3 glasses a day.

Eating fractionally up to 5-6 times a day.

Sample menu for a child at this age:
Morning: any milk porridge 6-7 tablespoons, boiled meat (or cutlet), bread, slightly sweet tea 200 ml.

2 breakfast: yogurt 200 ml.

Lunch: vegetable salad 100-150 gr, soup or cabbage soup 200 ml, boiled chicken 100 gr, boiled potatoes 100 gr, dried fruit compote 200 ml, rye bread 60 gr.

Snack: cottage cheese 150 gr, dry rye bread 1 pc., compote, or tea, or vegetable juice 200 ml.

Dinner: steam meat cutlet, boiled cauliflower 200 gr, wheat bread 1 slice, tea 200 ml.

At night: kefir 150 ml.

Naturally, with different degrees of obesity, the caloric content of the diet is recalculated individually, at this age there are still no gender differences.

During this period, with obesity of 3-4 degrees, you can put into practice fasting days- the child's body is already ready for this. The bottom line is to reduce the caloric content of the diet to 1000 kcal per day 1 time per week. They usually start with “protein” fasting days - cottage cheese, meat or dairy, then switch to fruit or vegetable fasting days, it is good to use double fasting days: 1 day - protein, 2 days - carbohydrate. Water is not limited these days.

One of the main factors in the treatment of obesity is appetite suppression through the consumption of large volume, but low-calorie, predominantly protein monotonous food!

After the completion of the subcalorie diet stage, when the required weight is reached, there is a transition to maintenance diet with the gradual introduction of "forbidden foods", you can continue the practice of fasting days.

From the age of 9 years, to lose weight in a child with a high degree of obesity, pathological hyperinsulinism, medications can be administered. But this issue is decided only by a doctor or a council of doctors!

In the age periods of 0-1, 1-7, 7-14.5, we are not talking about weight loss, and this is important to understand, but about the suspension of its set (growth continues, the weight is “worth”), but in the fourth age period - puberty Let's talk about weight loss.

WHAT NOT TO DO WITH OBESITY IN CHILDREN(psychological motivation):

Do not tell your child that he is "greedy" or "lazy". Tell him that you understand how difficult it is to make good ("healthy") food choices.
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Don't make your child feel guilty about his eating habits. Praise him when you see that he is eating right.
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Do not tell your child that he is not helping himself. Ask your child how you can help him eat well.
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Do not scare your child with weight loss. Tell him what will be good when he is less heavy.
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Don't complain about your weight or how "boring" dieting is. Set a good example and do everything you expect your child to do.
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Do not give a negative assessment to other people (friends, relatives, celebrities) who are overweight. Notice all the beauty in your child: his eyes, his hair, his good deeds, choice of clothes, etc.
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It is not necessary to make it clear to the child that he will be happy only at a normal weight. Talk to your child about the positive effects of working on your weight.
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Don't tell your child that being overweight is their fault. Explain that some people find it more difficult to control their weight than others - life can be unfair, but maybe they are lucky in other things!

I also want to talk about such an interesting topic as scales. Tanita with fat analyzers, water in the body. If they are somehow adapted to adults, then they “do not work” for children, because the WHO (World Health Organization) has not yet fully developed the allowable fat / water content in the body of children of different ages. Therefore, it will not be possible to independently control these parameters, no matter how sad it is.

To be continued…… in the next part I will talk about being overweight already by separating the obesity of girls and obesity of boys at puberty.

In order to understand how relevant the problem of childhood obesity is today, it is enough just to go out into the street, walk through playgrounds or parks. Surely you have noticed that almost half of the children have one or another degree of completeness.

Note the increase in overweight children and pediatricians. But parents, unfortunately, do not always pay attention to this aspect of the development of their child. What is the reason for such negligence?

There are several reasons, as always. These are chubby babies in advertising and films, and the eternal certainty that if a child eats well, then he is healthy. Do not forget about such a phenomenon as natural children's fullness. This condition is typical for children aged about 9 months. At this time, the fatty layer begins to actively form.

However, this does not mean that you can ignore the overweight of your child during this period. In addition, you should not mentally stretch the period of natural childhood fullness. If after the child begins to actively walk, the extra weight does not disappear, then it's time to sound the alarm.

To begin with, it is worth understanding what are the causes of excess weight in children. As always, it is impossible to single out one thing. Every child has their own problems and their own solutions.

Usually, in children, as in adults, obesity develops due to chronic overeating . The law of conservation of energy also applies here: if you eat more than is consumed per day, you will inevitably encounter excess weight.

In second place, of course, low mobility . Typically, both of these factors are present. Today, fatty foods, fast food, and various sweets have gained immense popularity. All this can be purchased literally at every step. Even the parents themselves sometimes, saving time, feed the child junk food. At the same time, modern children are more and more resting in front of a TV or computer. Naturally, an imbalance occurs in the body, which instantly affects the weight of the child.

Here it can also be noted social factor . Children copy their parents in everything, and if adults eat high-calorie foods, children are likely to prefer the same foods. Often a child is devoutly fed, believing that he should eat exactly as much and not a crumb less. Usually grandmothers are prone to such behavior, especially if their childhood was not the post-war years.

Such a feeding system violates one of the most important precepts of a healthy diet - to eat exactly as much as you need to saturate. It is better to leave part of the serving on the plate and eat it later than to choke and eat everything, just to leave nothing.

However, one cannot discount the hereditary factors . If one of the parents of the child is obese, then in half the cases the child himself is faced with this problem. If obesity is observed in both parents, the risk increases even more. In the case of hereditary obesity, more attention should be paid to prevention, rather than waiting for the problem to occur.

Strange as it may sound to many, but psychological aspects can affect the child's overweight. Children, like their parents, can “eat” some of their sorrows, worries and stresses.

In some cases, although quite rarely, the cause of obesity is various diseases . Despite the fact that this is far from the most common cause of extra pounds, you should not forget about it.

Why is obesity in children dangerous?

It is important to understand that overweight in children is much more dangerous than the same problem in an adult. After all, the child's body grows, changes, forms. Many systems in it are not yet fully functional, but are only learning to perform their tasks.

The first to suffer, as it is not difficult to understand, spine. It is on him that the overtime load suddenly falls. But at preschool age, the rapid formation of the skeleton is still going on, the bones are actively growing, and the child is also growing. It is at this stage that posture is formed, and excess weight, coupled with low mobility, can disrupt it even at this stage, which is fraught with various diseases of the spine.

The load on the circulatory system also increases, in connection with this, in children who have been overweight since infancy, by adolescence, such traditionally occur age-related diseases like hypertension, heart failure, ischemia, increases the risk of heart attack.

The pancreas also cannot cope with excess nutrients, which causes a violation of glucose metabolism, and this can lead to the development of diabetes.

should not be overlooked and psychological problems. Overweight children are often teased by their peers, which is why they develop complexes, they become insecure. And these complexes accompany such children for the rest of their lives, even if the child's overweight problems can be solved.

Is there any reason for concern?

However, after reading all this, you should not immediately put the child on a diet. Firstly, "adult" diets in the case of a child, especially an infant, are not only ineffective, but also dangerous to health. Secondly, the development of a child is a very individual concept, and before taking any measures, you need to make sure that the problem really exists.

If you think that your child is overweight, you should first try to determine whether this is so on your own. In particular, special tables of weight norms depending on age and height can help with this. Please note that you need to evaluate the situation on all three parameters.

So, if the child weighs too much for his age, do not forget to pay attention to his height. If the growth is also above the norm, then everything is in order. You just encountered a particular version of the norm.

Age	Boy		Girl
	Weight, kg	height, cm	Weight, kg	height, cm
Birth	3,6	50	3,4	49,5
1 month	4,45	54,5	4,15	53,5
2 months	5,25	58	4,9	56,8
3 months	6,05	61	5,5	59,3
4 months	6,7	63	6,15	61,5
5 months	7,3	65	6,65	63,4
6 months	7,9	67	7,2	66,9
Seven months	8,4	68,7	7,7	68,4
8 months	8,85	70,3	8,1	68,4
9 months	9,25	71,7	8,5	70
10 months	9,65	73	8,85	71,3
11 months	10	74,3	9,2	72,6
1 year	10,3	75,5	9,5	73,8
1 year 1 month	10,6	76,8	9,8	75
1 year 2 months	10,85	78	9,8	75
1 year 3 months	11,1	79	10,3	77,2
1 year 4 months	11,3	80	10,57	78,3
1 year 5 months	11,5	81	10,78	79,3
1 year 6 months	11,7	82	11	80,3
1 year 7 months	11,9	83	11,2	81,3
1 year 8 months	12,07	83,9	11,38	82,2
1 year 9 months	12,23	84,7	11,57	83,1
1 year 10 months	12,37	85,6	11,73	84
1 year 11 months	12,53	86,4	11,88	84,9
2 years	12,67	87,3	12,05	85,8
2 years 1 month	12,83	88,1	12,22	86,7
2 years 2 months	12,95	88,9	12,38	87,5
2 years 3 months	13,08	89,7	12,52	88,4
2 years 4 months	13,22	90,3	12,68	89,2
2 years 5 months	13,35	91,1	12,82	90
2 years 6 months	13,48	91,8	12,98	90,7
2 years 7 months	13,62	92,6	13,11	91,4
2 years 8 months	13,77	93,2	13,26	92,1
2 years 9 months	13,9	93,8	13,4	92,9
2 years 10 months	14,03	94,4	13,57	93,6
2 years 11 months	14,18	95	13,71	94,2
3 years	14,3	95,7	13,85	94,8

The parameters in infants vary especially greatly. First of all, because they have a different start and a large, in comparison with the total weight, the initial difference in height and weight. Some children weigh less than 3 kg, others more than 4. During this period, not the weight itself is much more important, but the weight gain per month. This information can also be seen in the table:

Age, month	Weight gain, grams		Height increase, centimeter
	per month	for the past period	per month	for the past period
1	600	600	3	3
2	800	1400	3	6
3	800	2200	2,5	8,5
4	750	2950	2,5	11
5	700	3650	2	13
6	650	4300	2	15
7	600	4900	2	17
8	550	5450	2	19
9	500	5950	1,5	20,5
10	450	6400	1,5	22
11	400	6800	1,5	23,5
12	350	7150	1,5	25

It is important to keep in mind that formula-fed babies almost always gain weight faster than their breastfed peers. Assessing the weight of your child, this point must also be taken into account.

Another way to determine if a child is overweight is to calculate the body mass index. Please note that this calculation makes sense only after the age of two. This is done quite simply: BMI is equal to body weight in kg divided by cm squared. The resulting value should be compared with the table. It shows the values ​​for overweight and for obesity.

Age	Overweight		Obesity
	boys	girls	boys	girls
2	18,4	18	20,1	19,4
3	17,9	17,6	19,6	19,1
4	17,6	17,3	19,3	19,2
5	17,4	17,1	19,3	19,7
6	17,6	17,3	19,8	20,5
7	17,9	17,8	20,6	21,6
8	18,4	18,3	21,6	22,8
9	19,1	19,1	22,8	24,1
10	19,8	19,9	24	25,4

If the resulting number is less than the BMI with overweight, then everything is in order in your case, if it is equal or more, then the problem is there. If the BMI value has reached the obesity mark, then the problem in the child is very serious.

Regardless of which method you used, if there is a suspicion that your child is overweight, you do not need to immediately rush to solve the problem, limit the child in food and drive to classes. First you need to contact the pediatrician. He will confirm or refute your fears, and also determine the cause of overweight.

Only then will it be possible to find an adequate solution to the problem. So, if the cause of excess weight in children is a particular disease, food restrictions and any physical activity may be ineffective, and in some cases even dangerous. In this case, you must first identify and cure the disease - the cause.

If everything is more prosaic, and the reason lies in overeating, then you can start the fight against excess weight.

How to deal with overweight in infants?

Excess weight in a breastfed baby is extremely rare. When the baby feeds on mother's milk, he, together with the parent's body, regulates the amount of milk he drinks. This makes overeating almost impossible.

But with artificial feeding, everything is somewhat more complicated. Determining when a child is full at this age is still difficult. It is necessary to draw up a clear feeding schedule, strictly follow the recommendations for the amount of mixture and the volume of water.

Sometimes you can hear the opinion that it is better for artificers to introduce complementary foods as early as possible. In fact, it's not necessary at all. But if you decide to introduce complementary foods to a formula-fed child, then keep in mind that you need to start with vegetable purees. They are the least caloric, and will not contribute to weight gain.

Often vegetable purees are made on the basis of potatoes. Pay attention to this, potatoes should be no more than 50% of the serving. Ideally, make your own puree at home, so you can definitely be sure of the purity of the products and their ratio.

The next item in complementary foods will be cereals with skim milk. Give preference to buckwheat or oatmeal, but it is better to refuse semolina. In addition, porridge can be given only once a day, preferably in the morning. If there is a need to sweeten porridge, it is better to do this with berries and fruits, without adding sugar.

How to deal with excess weight in a preschooler?

With older children, the situation is somewhat more complicated. When a child moves to a common table with his parents, it becomes more difficult to control his diet. The child sees what his parents eat and tries to eat the same.

Another aspect that often interferes with the process of losing weight is food in the kindergarten. There, parents cannot control the child's menu. First of all, you need to talk to the staff and find out what they feed the children in general. Then ask the teachers to cut portions, if necessary, do not give supplements, remove especially high-calorie foods, of course, if possible.

However, the main difficulties still await you at home. The fact is that the whole family will have to rebuild their diet, get used to a healthy diet. It is impossible to explain to a child why everyone will eat dumplings with sour cream or a sweet cake, and he will eat steamed vegetables. He will perceive this as a punishment, as a manifestation of some kind of injustice.

Therefore, everyone will have to come to terms with changes in the menu. However, this is not at all bad, because such a diet is healthy and suitable for people of any age. The nutrition of your family should be balanced, proteins, fats and carbohydrates should be present in the right proportions. As a rule, this ratio is called: 1:1:4, where the last digit refers to carbohydrates - the main source of energy and fiber. The main thing to remember is that these should be complex carbohydrates, not sweets and starchy foods.

Abundance on your menu vegetables and cereals it is also necessary because fiber helps to restore impaired metabolism, and also, like a real brush, cleans the intestines and helps to remove toxins accumulated in it. All this normalizes the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, relieves various digestive problems, including constipation, which are not at all rare in overweight children.

However, meat fish, dairy products and fats should also be present. The child's body needs proteins without fail, as it is constantly growing, and it needs building material for cells.

However, it is better to give preference to dietary meat, not fatty. It can be poultry, veal, lean beef. As for cooking methods, it is better to abandon frying and smoking completely, and stop at boiled meat and steamed meat.

By the way, the same applies to vegetable dishes. There is also no need to saturate them with oil during frying, this significantly increases the calorie content of dishes, and apparently, no visible harmful substances in heated oil.

Concerning dairy products, then you should give preference to skim milk, kefir and sour cream. Also, do not get carried away with various yoghurts with additives. It is better to use natural products, without preservatives. Kefir and yogurt can be made at home based on a special starter culture. Buying it today is not a problem. You should not refuse cheese, but it must be served in limited quantities.

Fats should be predominantly vegetable, and the child will receive a sufficient amount of animals from milk. Sunflower or olive oil can be seasoned with vegetable salads.

Another little tip: buy for a child separate dishes, smaller than yours. In a small plate, even a truncated portion will seem quite sufficient, and a small spoon will have to scoop food from the plate more often. A large number of movements will help to deceive the body, and the feeling of fullness will come earlier.

For this, it is necessary to organize a calm atmosphere for the child during meals. It is better to turn off the TV, radio, you should not occupy the baby with conversations. Yes, and at this time it is better to be silent. This will allow him to fully focus on food and his feelings.

An integral part of the weight loss process should be physical exercise. The child can be given to the sports section, start walking with him in the evenings, sign up for the pool. But here it must also be borne in mind that if you continue to spend time sitting, your child is unlikely to be inflamed with a desire to make any effort.

What can not be done?

When parents are faced with the problem of obesity in a child, there is a great temptation to start blaming someone, arrange terror or concentrate all their energies on achieving a result. However, it is very important to understand what can and cannot be done. So, in itself, the search for the guilty will not lead to anything. No need to blame a kindergarten with an unbalanced diet, a grandmother with her pies, a child with his immoderate appetite, or yourself. The most important thing in this situation is to recognize the problem and the cause and deal with them without undue reproach.

As mentioned above, simply forbidding a child to eat certain foods will not work. At preschool age, such measures are perceived very painfully. You should not make goodies a coveted prize received for some kind of achievement. In this case, the child can make a cult out of food, and this is unlikely to have a positive effect on the process.

Separate conversation - physical activity. You can't solve anything by force either. It is better to try to make morning exercises a fun game, and practice with your baby. This will not only help instill a good habit in him, but will also give you the opportunity to communicate more and better with your child.

As for the choice of sections ... Again, there is a great temptation to choose those where the greatest loads go, but you need to give the child a choice. Classes should not be held under pressure. Let it be a calmer and less energy-intensive sport, but the child will like it, and, as a result, he himself will give all the best in the classroom.

As you know, a specific goal in front of your eyes is the best motivation. However, the goal must be achievable. There is no need to demand everything from the child at once. Start small. First, accustom him to daily exercises, only then proceed to the selection of the section. In food, follow the same principle.

And one more thing: do not concentrate on the problem yourself and focus the attention of the child on it. He should not feel flawed, this adversely affects both the process and the child's psyche. Let it be a game, fun and relaxed.

Prevention of childhood obesity

Of course, prevention is always better than a hasty solution to a problem that has already arisen. Actually, for the purpose of prevention, you can and should do about the same thing that is required for weight loss. That is, morning exercises, sports, mobility, proper nutrition.

Of course, if there is no excess weight yet, prohibitions and restrictions can be much less strict. In any case, the child does not have to be strictly controlled, for example, at the festive table. One piece of cake or a serving of salad with mayonnaise is unlikely to hurt him.

The advantage of prevention is not only that it allows you not to face the problem of excess weight in children, but also that the child will get used to a healthy lifestyle from childhood, which means he will avoid many other problems.

Overweight child. School of Dr. Komarovsky (video)

Nutrition for an overweight child (video)

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You may have noticed that on television, on forums, in magazines, they are increasingly talking about children's excess weight. Unfortunately, the number of obese adolescents and children has continued to rise over the past twenty years. You may be wondering: why are scientists and doctors concerned about this trend? And as parents or interested people, you may also ask: what steps can we take to prevent obesity in our children? Let's consider these questions in more detail.

Why is childhood obesity a serious health problem?

Doctors are concerned about the rising percentage of obesity among children and young people because obesity can lead to the following disorders:

• Heart disease caused by high blood cholesterol and/or high blood pressure.
• Sleep apnea (snoring).
• social discrimination.

Obesity is also associated with many other unpleasant health consequences. Overweight adolescents and children are at risk due to their predisposition to obesity and overweight in adulthood.

Psychosocial risks


Some of the consequences of being overweight during adolescence and childhood are psychosocial in nature. Such children are often the target of early and systematic social discrimination. The psychological stress of such social stigmatization causes low self-esteem, which, moreover, can interfere with the acquisition of knowledge and the normal healthy development of the child's personality, and persists into adulthood.

High risk of cardiovascular disease

It has been established that in adolescents and children with unhealthy overweight, prerequisites for the occurrence of vascular and heart diseases are widespread. These include high blood cholesterol, impaired glucose metabolism (prediabetes), and high blood pressure. After examining several thousand adolescents and children aged 5 to 17 years, doctors stated that almost 60% of overweight children had at least one risk factor for vascular and heart diseases, and 25% of overweight children had two or more of these. dangerous conditions.

Additional health risks

Less common health conditions associated with being overweight include asthma, hepatic steatosis, sleep apnea, and type 2 diabetes.

• Asthma is a lung disease that narrows or even blocks the airways, making breathing very difficult. Medical research reveals a strong link between being overweight and childhood asthma
• Liver steatosis is a fatty degeneration of the liver caused by a high concentration of liver enzymes. Weight loss normalizes the production of liver enzymes.
• Sleep apnea is a less common complication of overweight in adolescents and children. Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder during sleep, namely, the cessation of breathing during sleep, which lasts for 10 seconds or more. Sleep apnea is characterized by loud snoring and difficulty breathing. During sleep apnea, blood oxygen levels can drop dramatically. The study showed that sleep apnea occurs in about 7% of overweight children.
• Type 2 diabetes mellitus is more common among overweight adolescents and children. While diabetes and impaired glucose metabolism (a precursor to diabetes) are more common among obese adults, in recent years these conditions have also become common among overweight children. The occurrence of diabetes in them can cause the development of dangerous complications, such as kidney failure and cardiovascular disease.

In addition, statistics confirm that fat children and adolescents are more likely to be obese in adulthood as well.

What can I do for my child to prevent unhealthy overweight and obesity?

To help your child maintain a healthy weight, you need to balance the calories they get from food and drink with the calories they burn through physical activity and normal growth.

Be sure to remember that the main goal of your fight against obesity and overweight in a child is NOT to reduce his weight! The goal is to reduce the rate of weight gain, while creating conditions for proper development and growth. Weight loss diets should not be used in children and adolescents, except in special cases, when there is a serious medical indication for this.

How can you help your child develop healthy eating habits?

One of the first steps in calorie harmonization is choosing foods that provide enough nutrients and calories. You can help your child learn to make sense of what he or she eats by developing healthy eating habits, finding ways to make favorite foods healthier, and reducing cravings for high-calorie treats.

Encourage healthy eating habits. There is no big secret in a healthy diet. To help your children and your family develop healthy eating habits:

• Make sure you have enough vegetables, grains, and fruits.
• Include low-fat or low-fat dairy products in your diet.
• Choose lean meats, fish, poultry, and legumes to ensure you get the right amount of protein in your diet.
• Keep portion sizes reasonable.
• Encourage the whole family to drink plenty of clean water.
• Limit sugary and sweetened drinks.
• Minimize your intake of sugar and saturated fats.

Look for ways to make your favorite meals healthier. Meals that you cook regularly and that the whole family loves can become healthier with even small changes. Perhaps these dishes will become even more beloved!

General recommendations: Protein-rich foods are best included in breakfast and lunch. Porridge and vegetables are good to eat at dinner. At the same time, overeating and unlimited food intake by the child is strictly excluded. All dishes need only be baked, stewed, steamed or stewed. Fried food is not recommended. And if you decide to still add butter to porridge, it should be a minimum amount.

Get rid of cravings for high-calorie treats. Almost everything that tastes good can be enjoyed in moderation. Reduce the proportion of foods high in sweeteners, sugar, fat and calories, as well as all salty snacks in the child's diet. Instead of allowing your child to sometimes eat unhealthy food - this can easily turn into his weakness for such food - replace it with healthy and tasty foods. All of this will help your child establish healthy eating habits. Here are some easy-to-make treats that are low in fat and sugar and are 100 calories or less:

• Medium sized apple.
• Medium banana.
• 1 bowl of berries
• 1 bowl of grapes
• 1 bowl of grated carrot, cucumber or sweet pepper.

How to balance calories: Help your child stay active.

The other side of calorie balance is to do the right amount of physical activity and avoid too much sedentary activity. In addition to being a favorite activity for most children and teens, quality and regular physical activity has many health benefits, including:

• Normalization of blood pressure.
• Strengthening bones, muscles, immune system.
• Reducing stress and anxiety.
• Increasing self-esteem.
• Help in managing your weight.

Help your child stay active. Children and adolescents should participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity daily, preferably during daylight hours. Remember that children imitate adults. Start adding physical activity to your daily routine and invite your child to join you. Here are some examples of moderate physical activity:

• Fast walk.
• Playing tags.
• Rope jumping.
• Football game.
• Swimming.
• Dancing.

Cut down on sedentary time. In addition to encouraging physical activity, help your child not spend too much time sitting. While it's good to sit down to read an interesting book or do homework from school, limit your child's time in front of the TV, video games, or computer to one to two hours a day and no more. In addition, many doctors, and the American Academy of Pediatrics in particular, do not recommend watching TV for children under 3 years of age. Instead, help your child come up with fun activities to do with other family members or on their own that include active physical activities.

According to the charity Kaiser Family Foundation, today's teenagers and children aged 8 to 18 spend on average as much as 7.5 hours in front of a TV screen or computer monitor every day! In a year, this amounts to about 114 full days of sitting in front of a screen for entertainment. This number of hours does not even include the time they spend at the computer at school in the classroom or at home doing homework.
Let's take a look at the time your child or teen spends watching TV and find ways to add more physical activity to their lives.

Age 8-11 years. Children at this age, on average, spend about six hours a day in front of a screen, watching entertainment programs, playing computer games, and the like. Almost four hours of them are spent watching TV. Instead, they could:

• play with the ball
• walk the dog
• dance to your favorite songs
• jump rope,
• ride a bike.

What should parents do?

1. Give your child 1 hour of physical activity daily.
2. Limit the total time your child spends in front of a TV or computer screen to 1-2 hours a day.
3. Find and develop other forms of entertainment that include physical and social activities. For example, joining a sports team or club.

Age 11-14 years. Children aged 11 to 14 spend an average of nine hours a day on the computer and in front of the TV, almost five of which are entertainment on TV. And they could:

• play football or basketball with friends,
• swim in the pool in the sports complex,
• walk the dog
• practice modern or ballroom dancing,
• ride a bike or skateboard.

What should parents do?

1. Provide your child with 1-2 hours of physical activity daily.
2. Limit the total amount of time your child spends watching TV or at the computer to 1-2 hours daily.
3. Remove the TV from the children's bedroom.
4. Find and develop other forms of entertainment that include physical and social activities. For example, admission to a sports section or a fitness club.

Age 15-18 years. Young people aged 15 to 18 spend on average about seven to eight hours a day in front of a TV screen, watching entertainment programs and playing computer games. Four and a half hours are spent watching TV. Perhaps they would be interested in this instead:

• take a little walk
• go to a fitness club or gym with friends,
• organize football, volleyball, basketball competitions,
• learn new tricks on roller skates,
• wash the car or help your parents around the house.

What should parents do?

1. Provide your teenager with 1-2 hours of physical activity daily.
2. Limit the total time a teenager spends at a computer or watching TV to 1-2 hours daily.
3. Remove the TV from a teenager's bedroom.
4. Find and develop other forms of entertainment that include physical and social activities. For example, joining a sports team or yoga, pilates, etc.

The 5-2-1-0 rule for defeating overweight in children
In America, they have developed an interesting and effective rule to help parents whose children need to lose weight - the 5-2-1-0 Rule.

5 or more meals of fruits and vegetables.

What is one serving of fruits and vegetables? For adults, a whole fruit about the size of a tennis ball, half a bowl of chopped fruit or vegetables, a bowl of raw or leafy vegetables, a quarter of a bowl of dried fruit. For children - a portion of the size of their palm.

Buy seasonal vegetables and fruits - they are especially rich in vitamins and minerals. Also, don't forget that frozen fruits and vegetables are almost always available in stores and are a healthier choice than fast food, for example.

Don't underestimate the importance of family meals. Take at least 10-15 minutes to eat with your kids. By choosing the right food and taking it with your child, you help him establish healthy eating habits on a subconscious level. Include children in planning lunches, breakfasts, and dinners.

2 hours or less spent in front of the TV or at the computer.

The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that by the age of 70, children and teenagers will spend on average 7-10 years watching TV or playing computer games. In addition, this kind of pastime often includes snacking on junk food instead of a full healthy and timely meal. Thus, excess unhealthy weight and obesity are becoming more and more common. It has been scientifically proven that such a passion for TV and computer games leads to reading difficulties, problems with concentration and mental retardation.

Safe time for watching TV or being at a computer: no TV or computer for up to 2 years. No TV or computer in the room where the child sleeps. 1 hour of educational programs on TV or on a computer for children 2-5 years old. For children over 5 years old, TV or computer no more than 2 hours daily.

1 hour or more of physical activity daily. Regular physical activity plays an undeniable role in maintaining a healthy weight and preventing chronic diseases such as osteoporosis, heart and vascular disease, diabetes, and colon cancer. And even if most children of primary school age are quite active, during adolescence, physical activity decreases sharply. In many ways, the level of physical activity of the child depends on the lifestyle of his family.

For example, 1 hour moderate physical activity means: an activity where you need to breathe hard. It can be dancing, brisk walking. 20 minutes energetic physical activity means: doing activities where you sweat. This is running, aerobics, basketball and the like.

Physical activity: makes the child feel good, helps him maintain a healthy weight, makes his heart healthy, makes him stronger, makes the child more flexible and resilient.

0 drinks with sugar, more water and low-fat dairy products.

The high consumption of sugary drinks and fatty dairy products (such as all kinds of sweet curds) among children causes unwanted overweight and even obesity. Children from 1 to 6 years old are strongly recommended to consume no more than 100-200 ml of juice per day, and adolescents 7-18 years old - no more than 250-350 ml. Whole milk is the largest source of saturated fat in children's diets. Switching to lower-fat or fat-free (1%) dairy products significantly reduces overall fat and calorie intake.

Sugary carbonated drinks have no nutritional value, but contain a lot of sugar. Just 250 ml of soda contains 110-150 empty calories. Many sodas also contain caffeine, which is harmful to children. Energy drinks are NOT sports drinks and should never replace water during athletic training.

Water is fuel for a child's body. It is one of the most important elements in nutrition for active children. The body of a child is 70-80% water, but when he is physically active, he sweats and loses this water and useful mineral salts. Therefore, it is very important to constantly replenish this supply of water. Water is the #1 choice when kids feel thirsty.
Various flavored drinks typically contain stimulants such as caffeine and other ingredients, as well as sugar, supplements of vitamins, minerals, and even protein. But we don't need these nutrients from drinks, we get them from our diet! These drinks are strongly discouraged for children and teenagers. They lead to increased heart rate, anxiety, high blood pressure, sleep problems, difficulty concentrating, indigestion, and even caffeine poisoning.

conclusions

After calculating your child's BMI and coming to the conclusion that there is a need to reduce his excess weight, you will pursue one of these goals:

• your child's weight gain at a slower rate
• maintaining the current weight and preventing its rapid growth

It should be remembered that diets that do not include various nutritious foods, or have too few calories, are dangerous for the child. Some types of dangerous "fancy" diets promise rapid weight loss while eliminating entire categories of foods. The real truth is that there is no quick fix when it comes to weight loss. Moreover, dieting often leads to eating disorders not only in adults, but also in children (anorexia or bulimia). And such conditions already require serious medical intervention and treatment in a hospital.

Pay attention to whether your child is a victim of some regular “magic” diet or a bad hobby for fast weight loss that is fashionable among teenagers. Children often perceive normal age-related changes in their body as imperfections and problems that they need to deal with. Your task is to tell the child how and why his body changes. And also, intelligibly explain to him what is the use of the above recommendations. Any person, including children, is ready to change something in his life if he understands why he needs it and what exactly he will benefit from it.

Remember that even small but daily changes can lead you to a recipe for success for a lifetime!