Twenty years ago children were forced outside. There were no video games or cable television.  Wii was something you said when sledding down a hill. Kids could be seen riding their bikes and playing baseball in the park. Many things have changed in the past few decades. Parents are busy and automatic entertainment is almost a must. The problem is that with every new electronic gadget that appears on the stage, we up the stakes of the effects these novelties have on America’s growing epidemic of childhood obesity.

Statistics show that the number of overweight children ages 6-17 has doubled in the past three decades. One in five children in the United States are considered obese.  Childhood obesity is firmly related to obesity in adults. The question is what can a parent do to help an overweight child? After all, this is your child; how do you let them know they need to lose weight? The schoolyard is surely not the place for a child to find out they are not the same as the other kids, and what are the best ways to prevent obesity in the first place?

First, it is important to remember that nutrition has to be the number one priority when dealing with a child and weight loss. Always keep in mind that children, preteens, and teenagers are growing significantly during this time in their lives. Emotionally, mentally and physically, children’s bodies are changing everyday. Balance is very important. Just as obesity can effect your child, lack of nutrition can be just as damaging. For this reason, traditional packaged programs (Nutrisystem,Slimfast, etc.)  and diet pills are not recommended for kids.

In fact, before even trying a “diet plan,” there are many common sense ideas for losing weight that might work with just a healthy diet.  Activity, any activity, burns calories. The experts say it is not increased energy on the part of children that is causing the obesity, but rather, a systematic slowdown in activity. Here are some creative ideas that can turn everyday activities into important calorie burners.

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