Obesity: How to help your child eat healthy

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In the UK, a record number of kids are obese – but a city seems to have resisted the trend.

Figures presented at a conference on obesity suggest that Leeds has been successful in reducing childhood obesity rates by 6.4% in recent years.

A key element of the city's strategy to combat obesity was to focus on preschoolers and offer parents lessons on how to get around. encourage their children to be healthy.

But it is not always easy for parents and guardians to know how to approach the subject of food. So, what are the best things that they can do?

• Record number of seriously obese children
• What to do if your child is overweight

Choice of offer

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Tina Le organizes workshops similar to those organized in Leeds for East London parents.

She says giving children an idea of ​​what they eat from a very young age, by offering a choice of two healthy options, can help them eat well.

"It can help minimize the risk of refusing to eat something completely and it helps them feel in control," she says.

"When we do not give children an option, they can feel completely stuck and a bit frustrated."

Small steps

Anna Groom, a dietician in pediatrics, admits that it is not always easy if a child is difficult.

She says that starting with small changes can reduce pressure around meals and avoid arguments.

"It's important that they have healthy foods that you know how to love, but you can also add something new to their plate in a tiny amount," she says.

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Belinda Mold

Belinda Mold found that this approach worked well with her three-year-old daughter, who previously ate only sausages and baked beans.

"If we served her anything else, she threw the food on the ground or ignored it and did not eat anything," she told the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire program.

But she tells him that by making him eat small amounts of new foods regularly, his daughter now eats just about anything.

"I say, you can have a bite just to try it and if you do not like it, you can have something else," says Belinda.

"You must be persevering," she adds. "So, if they reject it, try again."

Be a good model

Tina says that setting a good example for a child from an early age is also essential.

"If you eat healthy yourself, your child is more likely to show what you are doing," she says.

She adds that eating together at mealtime also helps encourage young children to emulate their parents' eating habits.

Anna adds that it is important for parents not to express negative opinions about foods that they do not like around their children, as this could influence their attitude to the child. For new foods.

Awards

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Offering rewards and praise for healthy eating can reinforce good habits, says Tina.

However, she points out that the rewards should not be related to food, but rather to an activity like going to the park, coloring or putting a sticker on a board.

"We always say to avoid bribing," she says.

"Do not say that if you eat that, you will have a chocolate or ice cream because it would give them the impression that the food we are asking them to eat is worth less than the reward."

Body image

Especially for older children, food and weight can be a sensitive topic, and concerns about their appearance can contribute to self-esteem issues.

A recent study showed that obesity and mental health were closely related, with obese children being more likely to suffer from emotional problems such as anxiety and a low mood.

Tina recommends framing conversations about foods to avoid linking healthy eating to the child's appearance.

"Encourage them to be healthy because it's good for them, rather than because it gives them a certain appearance," she says.

Anna agrees that language is the key to addressing the issue of weight.

"It's important for the family to be encouraged to make global changes so that the child does not feel isolated," she says.

"Saying things like:" Let's get healthier as a family "means that the child may not even have the slightest idea that the parent is worried about his weight but that It nevertheless improves his diet. "