If your child is overweight, maybe you need a lifestyle check. Nancy Kahn Scott has been the owner/operator of the My Gym Children’s Fitness Center in Palm Desert, California since 1996. Here, she talks about why she believes that parents need to set a good example, even when it comes to weight loss..
It’s a sad fact of modern life that more and more children are overweight, and even dangerously obese. We believe that the role model needs to start with the parent.
So many times what we find is that the overweight child comes from an overweight family. These lifestyle changes need to incorporate the entire family unit, not just the child who has been labeled overweight.
Eating Well and Exercising for Life
If your child is a couch potato, general tips like eating well and exercising regularly may seem obvious. But incorporating those healthy habits into the family’s life is a whole different kettle of fish. In other words, it’s a lot easier said than done.
We try to gently instill obvious suggestions into the family unit, such as not sitting down and watching television on the weekend but instead getting the whole family together and walking around the block, or going to the park and playing a game of catch.
Another thing that’s important is to avoid sedentary behavior like sitting for hours in front of a computer or playing hours of video games, and instead opting for healthy active options as a family. It doesn’t make sense to simply request that the one child exercises. It’s difficult to make the child exercise when the rest of the family is watching a movie on TV, or playing computer games for hours on end.
Long-Term Goals
We try to encourage the family to start getting some active, healthy activities going as a family, activities that they can continue to do long-term. Because honestly, a one-hour My Gym class once a week is great but it’s not going to cure an obese child.
We all have to shift our mindset to making activity fun for this child, modeling healthy exercise and eating models for this kid. We cannot cure an obese child in a weekly class, but we can help get that heart rate up a bit and encourage that child to do that more often during the rest of their week.
But when all is said and done, it’s got to go back to the family. It’s got to become a family project and a lifestyle change. Children learn from example more than anything else, so if you can set the right tone and encourage your child through your own actions, then half the battle is won.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
