The American Dietetic Association (ADA)

Article / Updated 04-14-2022

Upping your child's physical activity helps develop coordination and self-confidence. Diet and exercise habits that start now are more likely to follow your child into adulthood. Get the whole family involved in physical activity. Some activities may be difficult if your child is larger. Their size may make movement difficult, which, in turn can make them feel embarrassed, despite your best efforts. One of the reasons many adults don’t like to exercise is because as children they were made to work out as a form of discipline. But you can keep exercise fun. Studies show that the exercise habits made in youth are the habits you’re most likely to keep as you become an adult. Try some of these ideas. Take walks together after dinner. Plan nature walks, hikes, and canoe trips for the whole family. Encourage your child to join school or community athletic programs — but only if they enjoy the activity. If it’s not fun, the child won’t do it, and it won’t engender lifelong habits. Volunteer to coach or, at the very least, go to games and practice sessions. Take up sports that the whole family can do, such as inline skating, cross-country or downhill skiing, and backpacking. Measure your steps on a fitness app or smart fitness device. It’s a tangible way to promote and encourage physical activity. Get a rope and start jumping. Stage a family tournament. Encourage children to ride bikes and swim at an early age, and show them how. Dust off your bike, too; put on your suit and get into the pool with your kids. Turn off the TV. Better yet, unplug it. And limit phone and video game time. Ask your child what they liked best about doing a favorite activity. You may be surprised to find out that you’re the draw. Exercise can provide a focused opportunity for conversation between the two of you.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-22-2022

A diet can be successful or disastrous, depending on your dieting approach. Start by finding your healthy weight range to establish a goal for your diet. Study some facts about calories and fat, and follow a few simple tips to make your eating habits healthier and your diet will become a lifestyle — which will lead to weight loss.

Article / Updated 06-03-2016

Children pick up behaviors by watching grown-ups. If you show your children nutritious eating habits, they’re more likely to follow your example. If you’re constantly dieting and criticizing your body, they’ll begin to disrespect theirs, too. A study conducted by Glamour magazine on 4,000 young women examined the effects that their mothers’ dieting had on their eating habits. The subtle messages that daughters of dieters received from their parents greatly affected them. The more often a mother dieted, the greater the likelihood that her daughter dieted, too, regardless of the child’s age. The study also revealed that a father’s teasing about his daughter’s body often had a stinging effect on body image and dieting behavior. Letting your children know that they are loved and perfect just the way they are is a good strategy. If they don’t feel criticized by you for their size or shape, they’ll become able to accept and feel good about themselves. Let them share their thoughts about their size with you. Help them to discover that people come in all shapes and sizes and that their outsides have nothing to do with their insides. Focus on the tangible things that the child excels at — notice and acknowledge when her room is cleaned, she helps a friend, or finishes her homework without being told. This allows the child to view herself in a positive way. You know many wonderful and unique things about your child. Have you shared them with him lately? Consider the following list. Your opinions can color your child’s body perception in subtle ways. Examine your expectations of your child’s body. Examine your own beliefs and prejudices about body weight. Link respect for diverse body shapes and sizes with diversity of race, ethnicity, and so on. Realize that it’s okay to criticize a child’s behavior, but it’s not okay to criticize the child. Take the opportunity to praise a child’s behavior, and make the compliment specific. Don’t model poor behavior by criticizing your own body shape, make excuses for not exercising because of your weight, or talk about your need to diet. Encourage eating only in response to hunger.

Article / Updated 06-03-2016

Children become overweight due to genetic tendencies, lack of physical activity, unhealthy dietary habits, or a combination of these factors. In some rare cases, an endocrine disorder is to blame. Your pediatrician can perform an exam and blood test to rule out this possibility or to design a treatment program if needed. Sometimes, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. If a parent or sibling is overweight, chances are that the child will be, too. The odds of a child becoming overweight increase dramatically if both parents are overweight. In a series of studies on twins, researchers found that the likelihood of becoming fat is estimated to be between 65 and 75 percent if you have a family history of obesity. (For comparison, the genetic risk for breast cancer is about 45 percent.) Researchers found that when identical twins were placed in separate adoptive homes, the twins’ bodies looked more like each other’s and those of their biological parents than the bodies of their adoptive parents — the homes in which they were raised. More recent work on twins shows that twins often share similar metabolic rates, eating styles, and food preferences, too, even when they’re raised separately. Some experts have criticized the twin studies for assuming that all environmental conditions are the same, which may or may not be true. Genes alone don’t sentence a child to a life of obesity. Many experts think that the way a child is raised is even more important. If nature is the genetic pool that humans swim in, then nurture is the location of that pool and the way it’s maintained. Ethnic background, geographical location, and socioeconomic status may influence weight. In fact, contrary to the twin studies, many genetic experts argue that the inherited component of weight is much closer to 30 percent on average, compared to the 65 to 75 percent chance purported by the researchers who studied the twins. It’s crystal clear that a lack of physical activity leads to excess weight in both children and adults. Interesting is the correlation between the amount of time that a child watches television and his weight. The more TV that a child watches, the heavier he is. Experts think that this phenomenon is twofold. First and foremost, while children watch TV, they’re inactive, and therefore, burning few calories. Second, commercials often encourage consumption of high-calorie foods — and eating too many of them, of course, can result in weight gain. This also can be true for kids who spend plenty of time at the computer.

Article / Updated 06-03-2016

The Food Guide Pyramid is a good place to start planning a nutritious diet for your family. When you plan a snack or meal, make sure that it includes protein, carbohydrate, and a little bit of fat. A carbohydrate-only meal or snack — such as noodles or an apple — satisfies quickly, but it doesn’t have the staying power that protein and fat do. A hamburger patty or a handful of peanuts, which are mostly protein and fat, may have staying power but don’t provide immediate satiety. Yogurt and peanuts, cheese and fruit, or peanut butter and waffles are well-rounded snacks. Serve foods that are reliable sources of fiber, such as vegetables and whole grains, often. These foods have fewer calories than fiber-free foods that are high in fat and sugar, such as pastries and ice cream. Nutrition experts use this formula to determine kids’ fiber needs: Take the child’s age (up to 20 years old) and add 5. That’s the number of grams of fiber needed daily. So a 6-year-old needs at least 11 grams of fiber per day and an 11-year-old needs 16 grams. Providing children with food regularly but not constantly is also important. Children need to eat about every three hours; younger tykes may need to eat even more frequently. For adolescents who can eat more at one time, four hours between meals is fine. Children, like adults, eat out of boredom. An open kitchen policy and a ready supply of tempting edibles encourage all-day eating. Instead, schedule and serve snacks and meals at predictable times. Make snacks substantial enough to be filling but not so large that they ruin an appetite for an upcoming meal.

Article / Updated 06-03-2016

Many parents allow their children to skip breakfast. Parents may reason that the children aren’t hungry in the morning, and by skipping breakfast they avoid a bunch of calories. However, eating breakfast is important because it shifts the body out of starvation mode and into action. When a body thinks that it’s starving, it hoards energy by slowing down the burning of calories. Concentration becomes difficult. A child often becomes cranky and isn’t able to run, play, or jump with much enthusiasm. A school-aged child won’t do well in morning lessons. The healthiest breakfasts are a combination of whole grains, some form of lowfat or fat-free milk, yogurt or cheese (for calcium and protein), and a little fat. Like any meal, avoid eating sweet breakfast foods without balancing them with fiber, protein, or fat because the sugar load can backfire in an energy crash. Be practical: Breakfast can be as simple as a granola bar or half a tuna sandwich and milk or as homespun as a warming bowl of hot cereal sweetened with raisins. That your child eats something every morning — even if it’s a slice of cold left over pizza — is what’s important.

Article / Updated 06-03-2016

Just like adults, children should aim for five servings of nutritious fruits or vegetables a day. They’re good sources of fiber, they’re packed with vitamins and minerals, they’re low in fat, and they’re important for good health and development. Even if your child isn’t crazy about vegetables, you can get her to eat them — and happily — by using these tips: Offer to cut raw veggies as snacks. Many kids prefer uncooked vegetables to cooked ones and especially like to dip them. Try bean dip, hummus, salsa, or plain, lowfat yogurt flavored with seasonings as an accompaniment. Know that bright colors and crisp textures are kid winners. Steam or microwave veggies in a small amount of water to avoid overcooking them. You want them to be firm to the bite. Sneak them in! Add peas to mac and cheese; add shredded carrots or other vegetables to spaghetti sauce, lasagna, chili, tuna salad, or even peanut butter. Bake them in. Try lowfat zucchini and carrot muffins — your kids won’t know what hit them! Stir in finely chopped vegetables. Add them to meatloaf, ground turkey, ground beef, rice, or mashed potatoes. Start a garden. Most kids eat vegetables that they grow themselves — and are proud to share the bounty with the rest of the family. You can even grow lettuce in a warm, sunny window in the middle of winter. One way to add variety is to offer many vegetable-rich, crunchy, fresh foods at breakfast, lunch, and snack time. Another way is to expand the kinds of restaurants you visit. Try Mexican food one night, pizza another, and a seafood dinner occasionally, and add in Asian cuisine. Not only do these various cuisines allow your children to open their taste buds to new foods and experiences and add adventure to their meals, but they also add variety — which means that they’ll get a wide array of vitamins and minerals in addition to enjoying their food. Research indicates that children need plenty of exposures to a new or novel food before it’s accepted. Therefore, you may want to set up some family rules where everyone (mother and father included) should taste every item on their plate. You can use the child’s age to determine the number of bites. Setting an expectation increases the likelihood of acceptance — without tasting the food, a child will never be able to like the food.

Article / Updated 06-03-2016

In childhood, as in adulthood, the more fat that people in your diet, the more calories. That’s because, bite for bite, a gram of fat delivers more than twice the number of calories than a gram of protein or carbohydrate does. Research performed at Brigham Young University measured the amount of fat consumed by 262 children aged 9 and 10. Then the researchers compiled data on the children’s weights, the parents’ weights, and the level of the children’s activity. The greater the amount of fat the youngsters ate, the more they weighed, even after genetics and activity level were factored in. The higher the amount of carbohydrates and fiber the children ate, the lower their weights. Fiber-rich carbohydrates are associated with lower body weights and a reduced risk of cancer and heart disease in adults as well. Unfortunately, more children are eating their meals away from home. Often, these meals are eaten at fast-food restaurants, where fiber-rich carbohydrates, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, are hard to come by. Other common food-away-from-home sources include stores, day-care centers, and school cafeterias. Another trend is the shift from drinking milk to consuming more noncitrus juices, juice drinks, and other calorie-dense beverages like soda. Not only has milk been squeezed out of children’s menus, but the consumption of these other beverages that provide calories — and little else — has increased. The statistics are staggering; by the time a child reaches 5 years-old, her milk consumption will start to slide, so that by 18 years old, soft drinks and juice drinks will reduce milk intake to a skimpy 3/4 cup a day. The researchers who conducted and analyzed the data are worried because the most frequently consumed beverages are low in all nutrients except sugar. Some juice is fine, but drinking it all day long is not — no matter if it’s a juice drink or 100 percent juice. Not only can constantly washing the teeth with juice lead to dental cavities, but also consuming more than 12 ounces of it a day is associated with reduced height and increased obesity in 2- and 5-year-old children. Although counting a 4-ounce to 8-ounce glass of 100-percent fruit juice as one or two fruit servings per day is fine; in reality, juice accounts for 50 percent of all the fruit consumed by children. And juice isn’t the best way to get all your fruit servings, because it doesn’t provide fiber, which most children — and adults — don’t get enough of in their diet. Here are how several popular juices compare nutritionally. Nutritional Comparison of Some Fruit Juices Orange Juice Grapefruit Juice (Unfortified) Apple Juice Grape Juice (Unfortified) Vitamin C Excellent source Excellent source Not significant Not significant Potassium Good source Good source Good source Good source Folic acid Excellent source Good source Not significant Not significant

Step by Step / Updated 06-03-2016

Body Mass Index (BMI) is the standard used to measure a child’s weight-related health risk. However, you must use charts specifically designed for children. Children’s BMI charts, unlike those for adults, are based on age and gender. Ask the staff at the pediatrician’s office to show you your child’s charts. Or you can use the formulas and charts that follow to do the calculations yourself.

Article / Updated 06-02-2016

If you are a dieting athlete, simply cutting your calories will impact your performance. Your focus should be lowering the percentage of body fat you carry. If you know what your weight-loss goal is, you can calculate your total daily calories and the ideal amounts of carbohydrate, protein, and fat. Cutting calories drastically impairs your performance. Therefore, the recommendation is to maintain weight (but shift your percentage of fat to lean) while you’re training and use the “off season” for weight loss. If you must lose while training (because you’re a year-round athlete), weight loss of 1/2 to 1 pound a week is the recommendation. Losing weight more quickly causes loss of muscle glycogen (the form of energy that is stored in the muscles) and muscle tissue loss as well. Rapid weight-loss diets that are low in carbohydrates are particularly dangerous for athletes. Most of these diets cause water loss, which can lead to impaired cardiac function, inability to maintain body temperature, and muscle cramping. To calculate your caloric needs first find your Basic Metabolic Rate (BMR). Your BMR indicates the number of calories you need to maintain heartbeat and breathing. How Many Calories Your Body Needs Per Day for Basic Energy Needs Age Use This Equation to Calculate Your BMR Men * 18 to 30 [15.3 x weight (in kilograms)] + 679 30 to 60 [11.6 x weight (in kilograms)] + 879 Older than 60 [13.5 x weight (in kilograms)] + 487 Women * 18 to 30 [14.7 x weight (in kilograms)] + 496 30 to 60 [8.7 x weight (in kilograms)] + 829 Older than 60 [10.5 x weight (in kilograms)] + 596 Then multiply it by the activity factor that applies to you in the following table. Most athletes fall in the heavy range for physical activity. Therefore, their BMR would be multiplied by 1.9–2.1. Activity Factors Exercise Level Description Factor Very Light Extremely sedentary, largely bed rest 1.2–1.3 Light No planned activity, mostly office work 1.5–1.6 Moderate Walking, stair climbing during the day 1.6–1.7 Heavy Planned vigorous activities 1.9–2.1 The recommended weight loss for athletes in training is 1/2 to 1 pound per week. So, here’s the breakdown: Calorie deficit per week: 3,500 (calories in a pound) x 1/2 to 1 = 1,750–3,500 Calorie deficit per day: 1,750–3,500 ÷ 7 (days in a week) = 250–500