WELL BEGUN IS HALF DONE!

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 HEALTHY EATING FOR KIDS

What is OBESITY?

The simplest indicator of obesity is with the BODY MASS INDEX. BMI is a scale that defines OBESITY by taking body weight and height into account.
BMI percentiles show how a child's measurements compare with others the same gender and age. 

For e.g. if a child has a BMI in the 60th percentile, 60% of the kids of the same gender and age who were measured had a lower BMI.

Your kid is considered to be OVERWEIGHT if the BMI is at or above the 85th percentile.

RISK FACTORS:

  • Type2 diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • Bone and Joint problems
  • Breathing issues
  • Sleep issues
  • Early maturity

WHY DO KIDS BECOME OVERWEIGHT?

A number of things contribute to anybody becoming overweight such as:

  • Diet habits
  • Lack of exercise
  • Genetics
  • Medical conditions
  • Lifestyle
While some of the conditions are out of our control, lets look at some of the things which we can change.

TIPS TO PREVENT OVER-EATING & OBESITY IN KIDS:

  1. Reduce eating out as much as possible
  2. Drink 2ltrs water
  3. Choose home made lemon juice or other fruit juices instead of bottled drinks or aerated drinks.
  4. Don’t skip breakfast
  5. Have early dinner before 8.30pm
  6. Keep in mind about portion sizes when you dine out. A burger can be as much as 500 calories, which is half the daily calories of most kids.
  7. Exercise 30mins at least every day
  8. Avoid processed foods like biscuits, chips and bakery items
  9. Choose products based on ingredients rather than just the packaging labels.
  10. Cut down on PHONE and SCREEN TIME. Serve meals and snacks at the TABLE rather than in front of TV / Computer

SAMPLE MENU PLAN:


Sample menu


 

Finally the best example for kids is PARENTS.
  • Start by working on your health issues / eating habits
     
  • Model healthy eating patterns for kids to follow

  • Include a fitness plan in your family fun time 
 
"Don't worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you." - Robert Fulghum





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