In the United States, one in three children are overweight or obese, with rates increasing as kids get older. All children gain weight over time, as they grow and develop, so it’s not always obvious when or if your child’s weight gain is typical or something to address. A little extra weight gain today might even out when your kiddo hits a growth spurt, but it could also be the beginning of a health problem.
Genes, family history, overeating, indulging in sugary drinks, lack of physical activity, not enough sleep, medications, medical conditions, and more are all factors that go into whether a child becomes overweight or obese.
Obesity during childhood puts your child at increased risk of obesity and obesity-related illness in adulthood. Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight is not just about food and exercise; it’s about developing a well-rounded set of healthy habits at the dinner table and beyond.
Building Healthier Habits in Childhood
The first step is to sit down together as a family and identify which habits may pose a risk to your child’s health, and then figure out healthier alternatives. Talk with your child about the benefits of physical activity, eating healthy, and getting enough sleep. Then create a structure together to help your child (and the rest of your family) reach their health goals.
Mealtime schedule: Create a meal schedule and follow it consistently. Try to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at roughly the same time every day. Making sure your child has regular meals will help their body learn when it’s time to eat and prevent mid-meal snacking.
Healthy food and drink options: Ensure options available at home are healthy and nutritious. Make it easy for your child to grab healthier options that include:
- Fruits and vegetables
- Whole grains
- Dairy (fat-free or low-fat)
- Nondairy beverages that are fortified with calcium and vitamins
- High-protein foods. Choose lower-fat proteins like turkey breast, beans, or tofu.
You can also support healthier eating habits for your child by:
- Limiting foods high in added sugars, saturated fats, and sodium
- Swapping sugary sodas and fruit juices for water or milk. These support whole-body health, including protection against cavities, tooth decay, and gum disease.
- Keeping healthy snacks where they are easily accessible and less healthy options out of reach, and providing them occasionally.
Physical activity: Build physical activity into your daily routine. Young children, aged three to five, should be actively playing throughout the day. Encourage your child to engage in a variety of activities that stimulate and strengthen different muscle groups. Skipping, jumping, dancing, climbing, obstacle courses, and races are all simple activities that young children enjoy.
Kids aged 6 to 17 should get more than an hour of physical activity every day, outside of school. Go for a walk, take a bike ride, go for a hike, join a sports team—anything that gets your child moving. Even better, do those activities together as a family. Not only will it be more fun, it will also reinforce the healthy habits you’re developing throughout your entire family, and everyone benefits.
Limit screen time: Healthy habits are about more than just going on a bike ride and minimizing sugary snacks; it’s also about taking care of your child’s mind. Limit TV, phone, gaming, and computer time to one to two hours a day. If that feels impossible with where you’re starting, start small and slowly cut back. Turn off screens during homework sessions and put them away during mealtime. Encourage your child to fully participate in what’s happening in front of them, whether it’s a school lesson, conversation with a friend, or family mealtime. Learning to be fully present has benefits that go far beyond screen time.
Get enough sleep: Sleep is essential for your child’s mental and physical health. Kids need more sleep than adults to support their growing bodies. Healthy sleep habits help kids fight off illnesses, grow and develop, and maintain a healthy weight.
From 4 months to 12 months of age, your baby needs between 12 and 16 hours of sleep each night. As your child gets older, they’ll sleep a little less each night until they reach the recommended eight hours of sleep for adults. Between the ages of 6 and 12, kids need between 9 and 12 hours of sleep each night, but that’s also the age when kids hate having a bedtime. Talk with your child about the importance of a good night’s sleep every night.
If devices or screen time are affecting your child’s sleep, consider having them put their devices in a designated place every night and keep their room screen-free for bedtime. Having a screen-free rule in place eliminates the option of staying up until 2 a.m. playing games, allowing children and teens to get better sleep.
Half-full plates: Don’t make your child clear their plate. Forcing a child to keep eating when they’re no longer hungry could create a disordered relationship with food. If your child is full and they want to stop eating, let them.
Reward and punishment: Don’t use food as the proverbial carrot or stick. Using vegetables as punishment teaches your child negative associations with healthy foods. On the same token, using dessert as a reward can create an unhealthy relationship with food later in life.
Improving Your Child’s Quality of Life
Focus on your child’s health, setting goals together, and improving your daily life. It’s more important that your child establishes healthy habits for the long term and feels supported and loved along the way over hitting a certain weight target. Reward success with praise, but make sure that you also praise effort and adherence to set goals, avoiding positive or negative associations with food.
Remember that self-image often comes from external sources, including parents, family members, and close friends. Don’t expect perfection. Kids are kids, and we can’t expect them to be more committed or more capable than adults in the same position.
Work with your child’s pediatrician to set healthy, attainable goals. Your child’s doctor will consider many factors when assessing what intervention, if any, is appropriate. In addition to your child’s age, weight, height, and BMI, they’ll look at overall health, whether there are any weight-related health problems, growth rate, and family history.
If necessary, they may refer you to a dietician or other specialist to help guide you and your family on a path toward long-term health. Whether your child is at a healthy weight is more complicated than just BMI; the pediatrician will take into account your child’s unique circumstances, including medical history.
Supporting Your Child’s Long-term Wellness
Weight doesn’t equate to health, but individuals who are overweight or obese are at increased risk of certain health conditions, both physical and psychological. Possible effects of unhealthy weight include:
- Trouble breathing
- Joint and bone problems
- High blood pressure and/or cholesterol
- Diabetes
- Asthma
- Sleep apnea
- Disordered eating
- Anxiety
- Depression
Children who are overweight or obese are more likely to become adults with obesity. In adulthood, your child may be at increased risk of stroke, cancer, heart disease, mental illness, depression, anxiety, and premature death.
Making lifestyle changes can be challenging for anyone, but it can be a little easier if you’re not alone. Kids pay attention to adults and mimic what they do. Set a good example for your child, and they’ll be more likely to follow suit. Make healthy choices yourself. Trade out some of your go-to unhealthy snacks for healthier options and ask your child to do the same. Minimize your own unnecessary screen time and go to bed on time. It will help your child to meet their health goals, and it might rub off on you, too!
