Children, like adults, are becoming less and less active. More time is spent in front of the TV and playing video or computer games than ever before. Studies show that an overweight child usually becomes an overweight adult. The best time to change your child’s habits is while he or she is young. A healthy active lifestyle is just as important for children as it is for adults.
Get active – Exercise is an important factor in both your weight and your health in general. It doesn’t take much time to become more active. An hour of activity each day will help reduce excess weight. Considering that most people are awake between 15 to 19 hours a day, an hour doesn’t seem
like very much. Even better, your hour of activity doesn’t have to be all at once. Try adding up your activities in 10-minute segments. Start slowly with light activities and build up to more moderate ones. Then keep going, because of the more physical activity in your life the better. Walking is one of the best and most enjoyable forms of exercise that you can do. Housekeeping, yard work and many other active tasks can also help you manage your weight.
Set realistic goals – Focus on your behaviours not the numbers on the scale. Everyone will lose weight at a different pace. Concentrate your goals on developing new healthy habits that revolve around nutrition and exercise. Once you manage your new habits, you are well on the way to achieving a leaner and healthier body.
If you have more concerns about your child’s weight refer to our more detailed weight management article.
