There are tons of fad diets, weight loss plans and support groups for adults who want to shed a few pounds. But what about overweight and obese children? Where does Junior turn when his weight is keeping him from enjoying everyday childhood activities? This article will explore ways to keep your children in optimal shape and in good health — without them knowing it.
Make subtle dietary changes
Suddenly announcing that there will be no more cupcakes, candy and fried foods will certainly go over like a lead balloon in your home. Try making subtle changes like switching to low-sugar syrup, or reduced fat cupcakes at first. Instead of sugary fruit juices and soft drinks, try substituting with flavored water or sugar-free drink mixes. (Think Crystal Light). This is a delicate balancing act that brings us to our next point:
Hide the Evidence
Try storing the new, lighter fare in containers not likely to arouse suspicion. Put the sugar-free cookies in a colorful cookie jar and throw away the packaging. Add a drop of food coloring to the flavored water and store in the refrigerator in a pitcher. Pour light syrup into a separate container and throw away the syrup bottle. According to author Deirdre Barrett in her book, “Waistland,” the body will stop craving the extra sugar and fat after a few days’ adjustment. Typically, the body will experience some symptoms of withdrawal for a few days, at which point it will adjust to the change. You may even find that after getting used to a healthier diet, your children will no longer crave sugary and fatty foods.
Make Healthy Choices Accessible
Instead of purging your home of all snack foods, replace them with similar healthier options. Replace the giant bag of potato chips with small bags of baked chips or pretzels. Trade in those sugary “fruit snacks” for the real thing. Cut up apples and store in baggies (be sure to coat the apples with a small amount of lemon juice to keep them from browning) in the fridge. Store bananas and grapes within sight of hungry snackers. Dried fruits such as apricots, banana chips and coconut chunks go a long way in satisfying a sweet tooth.
Become a Sneaky Chef
In her book, “The Sneaky Chef,” Missy Chase Lepine outlines several strategies for hiding healthy foods in kids’ favorite meals. She offers tons of recipes are both healthy and that taste good to young palates. According to Lepine, the healthy “sneak” ingredient has to either enhance the overall taste or add no taste of its own. Many foods, such as baby spinach have virtually no taste of their own, making them excellent “sneak” ingredient. She also advises not to affect the look or texture of the final product. For example, using spinach in macaroni and cheese would be a bad idea because it would change the color of the food and impart a different taste and texture. A better “sneak” food to add to macaroni and cheese would be white bean puree, for example. Another great book on this topic is “Deceptively Delicious,” by Jessica Seinfeld.
Limit Television Consumption
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there is a direct correlation between the amount of television watched and rates of childhood obesity. Television watching is a sedentary, passive activity. In addition, marketing companies bombard children with commercial advertisements for unhealthy food choices. According to “Kids as Customers: A Handbook of Marketing to Children,” fast food restaurants count children as their main advertising target because of their influence on their parents’ buying decisions. They also become “brand loyal”–sticking to one brand through adulthood.
Make Fitness a Family Affair
Incorporating fitness into the family’s regular routine is a great way to encourage fitness and healthier eating in children. Try taking a 30-minute walk after dinner, or bicycling as a family once a week. For a truly fun activity, have a Friday night dance party at home. Turn the lights down and the music on and kick up your heels for a great calorie-burning activity. Other high calorie burning activities that kids will love are roller-skating, laser tag, and a family football game.
There are tons of ways to encourage your children to adopt a healthy eating and fitness regime. All it takes is a little creativity, and sometimes, a little delicious deception.