List suggested recommendations for lifestyle modifications for an obese 10-year-old child.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary.

The 1st step is to assess how much physical activity he or she engages in. If a child spends much free time in sedentary activities, more physical activities should be encouraged. Both the U.S. government and health professionals recommend 60 minutes or more of moderate to intense physical activity per day for children and adolescents. An overall active lifestyle will help children not only attain a healthy body weight but also keep a healthy body weight later in life and reduce the risk of obesity-related diseases. An increase in physical activity won't just happen; parents and other caregivers need to plan for it. Two good ideas are getting the family together for a brisk walk after dinner and finding an after-school sport the child enjoys.

Foods should include a focus on vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and whole grains, with less refined sugars and processed foods.
Obese children often need to find a new way to relate to foods, especially snack foods. An important family rule might be that children are allowed to eat only while sitting at the dining table or in the kitchen. This rule can stop mindless snacking in front of the television and make all family members more conscious of when they are eating. It also might be helpful to put portions of snack foods on plates rather than to allow unlimited amounts of snacks, as often happens when children eat directly from a full box of crackers or cookies. Obese children also need support, admiration, and encouragement to bring their weight under control. A child's self-esteem is extremely fragile. Obesity itself often affects the child's psyche and mental outlook (e.g., depression). Humiliation doesn't work; it only makes the child feel worse. Resorting to a weight loss diet is usually not necessary. Children have an advantage over adults in dealing with obesity; their bodies can use stored energy for growth. Thus, if weight gain can be moderated, their normal increases in height can help bring weight under control.