FAQs
- How do I know if my child is overweight?
- What should I do if my child is overweight?
- My teen daughter wants to use diet pills. Is this a safe way to lose weight?
- My child is overweight and is uncomfortable playing organized sports. Are organized sports the only way for him to be healthy and active?
- My school age son has always been heavier than other kids his age. He seems pretty shy and quiet. How can I help him become more self-confident?
- My baby is often called “chubby” or “fat”. Is breastfeeding making her overweight?
- My toddler is a very picky eater and fusses with new foods. I have tried playing games with her to get her to eat but nothing works. How can I make her eat better?
- My young daughter is always hungry. She often begs for snacks, treats and second helpings. I think she eats too much and I worry she’ll grow up fat, given both my husband and I have weight issues.
- Our family leads a busy lifestyle. We often eat fast foods and take-out. I’m worried that we’re not eating all that healthy. What can I do?
- My three kids seem to be naturally skinny. They eat a lot of junk food and watch T.V. but I don’t think they will ever have a weight problem. Do I need to be concerned?
1. How do I know if my child is overweight?
Determining if a child is overweight is not straight forward. The only way to tell if your child is overweight is by looking at the child’s growth over time, instead of focusing on a single weight measurement. If there is a consistent and steady growth pattern over time, then your child’s weight may be normal. A health professional is the best person to find out whether your child is at a healthy weight for his height, age and stage of growth and development.
If you’re concerned about your child being obese or overweight or would like to understand how growth charts work, speak to your doctor, ask for a referral to see a Registered Dietitian or call Region of Peel - Public Health.
2. What should I do if my child is overweight?
If you’ve been told by a doctor that your child is overweight, do not put your child on a diet. Instead, look at your family’s overall lifestyle and aim to gradually influence your child’s eating and physical activity patterns. You are your child’s most important role model and you can help your child by encouraging physical activity and providing healthy food choices. Kids who are healthy and active may eventually “grow into” their weights.
3. My teen daughter wants to use diet pills. Is this a safe way to lose weight?
Diet pills are one of the harmful and drastic measures that young people try in order to lose weight. Other harmful methods include the use of prescription weight loss drugs, surgery and fad diets. These methods can be dangerous to health.
4. My child is overweight and is uncomfortable playing organized sports. Are organized sports the only way for him to be healthy and active?
Kids don’t need to play organized sports but they do need regular physical activity. If your child is uncomfortable playing sports, encourage other activities such as walking, biking or swimming. These activities can be done individually and at a level that is comfortable for him. You can also encourage active play. Tag, hide-and-seek, hopscotch and jump rope are easy and fun!
5. My school age son has always been heavier than other kids his age. He seems pretty shy and quiet. How can I help him become more self-confident?
Just as kids come in a variety of shapes and sizes, they all have different personality traits too. Your love and encouragement will help your child feel good about himself. Take every opportunity to let your son know that you think he is great just the way he is. When giving compliments, focus on what your child has done. For example, instead of “You’re great!” say “I like how you helped your brother tie his shoelace”, or “I like how you’ve set up the table for dinner”. This helps him recognize his skills and abilities and feel proud of himself.
Sometimes shy kids need a little extra support for building friendships. Make home a welcoming place for friends to visit. Offer to include friends in family activities, or try group activities, such as Scouts, team sports or an interest club. See what he’s interested in but don’t push.
6. My baby is often called “chubby” or “fat”. Is breastfeeding making her overweight?
No, breastfeeding does not “make” a baby overweight. In fact, studies show that exclusive breastfeeding may actually help prevent obesity. If you follow your baby’s cues you won’t overfeed; she will let you know when she’s hungry and when she’s full. Breast milk provides the right kinds of fats and right amount of nutrients for your baby’s growth and development. Your supply of milk will adjust to your baby’s needs as she grows.
Every child has a natural size and shape that’s normal for them. Some babies are naturally bigger than others; it does not mean that your baby will become obese. Keep breastfeeding as long as you and your baby enjoy it, the longer the better.
7. My toddler is a very picky eater and fusses with new foods. I have tried playing games with her to get her to eat but nothing works. How can I make her eat better?
You can’t make a child eat. What you can do is serve nutritious meals and snacks at regular times, discourage grazing (snacking all day), try to make mealtimes pleasant, and not put any pressure on her to eat. Pressuring a child to eat more than she wants (this includes playing games to get her to eat) may cause her to eat even less.
It’s normal for children to go through times when they become more picky about food or feel less hungry. Every child grows at a different rate and has different food likes and dislikes, body shape and personality. Your child might not need as much food right now, but is still growing well. Children know when they are hungry, when they are full and they know how much to eat. The important thing to do is respect your child’s food refusal without stressing about it.
8. My young daughter is always hungry. She often begs for snacks, treats and second helpings. I think she eats too much and I worry she’ll grow up fat, given both my husband and I have weight issues.
Many parents are concerned that their kids eat too much and will grow up fat as a result. In trying to help, parents may stop their kids from eating as much as they want to eat. It’s hard for parents to know how much food a child needs since kids grow so differently and have varying appetites. Kids grow best when parents provide regular and nutritious meals and snacks and let their kids decide how much to eat. When parents control how much their children eat, the children may overeat when they have free access to food.
If you have any feeding concerns, speak to your doctor and ask for a referral to see a Registered Dietitian or call Region of Peel - Public Health
9. Our family leads a busy lifestyle. We often eat fast foods and take-out. I’m worried that we’re not eating all that healthy. What can I do?
Relax. Try to keep meals simple and balanced. There are healthy, convenience foods available at local grocery stores. Buy pre-cut veggies and eat them as a side dish or raw with dip. Frozen vegetables are great with almost any meal. Try some tonight in a quick stir-fry, hearty vegetarian chilli or with roasted BBQ chicken.
You can also get the kids to help prepare meals or set the table. This helps them develop responsibility, confidence and independence. When you’re too exhausted to cook, go out and have a family meal at a restaurant or bring take-out food home. There’s nothing wrong with having the occasional take-out meal.
10. My three kids seem to be naturally skinny. They eat a lot of junk food and watch T.V. but I don’t think they will ever have a weight problem. Do I need to be concerned?
Thin kids also need a variety of healthy foods and physical activity just as much as anyone. Lots of kids today are eating too little of the foods that fuel growing bodies and too many treats with little nutritional value. Kids today are also less active than in the past.
If you’d like to make some changes in your family, there are lots of ways to do this. Regular family meals are a great way to help kids eat well. You can also keep the cupboards and fridge stocked with tasty snacks that are more nutritious and buy less of the not-so-nutritious treats. Encourage your kids to find some other interests besides T.V. (or other screen activities). If they are busy having fun and well-fuelled they’re less likely to grab “junk” food. Whatever you decide to do, keep it positive and remember that gradual changes usually work best.
