Being overweight is bad for your child’s health now and in the future. Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults, putting them at increased risk of a range of health problems including high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
What’s more, it’s not always easy to tell if toddlers and very young children are overweight. Your child may have scored an overweight body mass index (BMI) according to our BMI tool, even though they do not look overweight to you. But it’s important to remember that if your child has an overweight BMI, this could adversely affect their health now and in the future.
But there’s good news. You can do a lot to help your child achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Remember, if you’re concerned about your child’s weight then your GP, practice nurse or school nurse can provide help and advice.
A registered dietitian has provided the following advice.
Growing bodies
Just like adults, children become overweight when they consume more energy (in the form of calories) than they use. But, unlike adults, children are still growing and that means they need more energy for growth.
It’s crucial that they receive this energy from nutritious, healthy food, and not from foods filled with saturated fat and sugar.
Most overweight children do not need to diet. They may not even need to lose weight. Instead, they can try to keep their weight the same as they grow taller. That way they will steadily get closer to a healthy weight. If your child has an overweight BMI it’s important they change their eating behaviour to achieve this.
Good food
When it comes to your child’s diet, you don't need to count calories. Instead, give them a balanced, healthy diet that will set up your child for a lifetime of healthy eating.
The best way to get your child to eat healthily is to lead by example. If your child is overweight, think about attitudes to food in your house. Do you eat together as a family, or grab snacks on the go? Is the television on at mealtimes? Do you prepare food yourself or rely on supermarket ready meals?
Establish a regular pattern of meals so the whole family can enjoy mealtimes together, instead of allowing your child to snack whenever they feel like it.
Cook the same food for everybody even if it's not possible for everybody to eat at the same time. Switch the television off at mealtimes, as it's easy to overeat if distracted.
Follow these healthy eating principles:
- Base your meals on starchy carbohydrates, such as pasta, rice and potatoes.
- Eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
- Eat lean proteins such as meat, fish, eggs, beans, pulses and lentils.
- Cut down on saturated fat (found in processed meats, pies, cakes and biscuits).
- Cut down on sugary foods such as biscuits, cakes and fizzy drinks.
- Cut out sugary drinks like sweetened fruit juices and fizzy drinks, and if you give your child unsweetened fruit juice, dilute it with water.
- Cut down on salt, both in cooking and at the table. Most children over four eat too much salt. Supermarket ready meals and processed meats are often high in salt, so check food labels when you buy.
You can find more information about healthy food for kids in Healthy diet: weaning and beyond.
If your child is hungry between meals, give them healthy snacks such as fruit or a glass of milk. Only give them sugary foods such as biscuits, chocolate and cakes occasionally.
Calcium is particularly important for children, so ensure your child has three portions of calcium a day. Dairy food is an excellent source of calcium, so three portions could be a glass of milk, a matchbox-sized piece of cheese or a yoghurt.
From the age of two onwards you can give semi-skimmed milk to your child. But fully skimmed milk is not suitable until the age of five.
Fussy eaters
If your child refuses to eat certain foods it can seem difficult to introduce a healthier diet.
Try to change your child’s eating habits one step at a time. First, think about the eating habits displayed by the rest of the family as these may be copied by your child. If you're not eating vegetables, your child is unlikely to.
Think about the healthy, balanced diet that you want your child to eat and then make that normal in your house.
Gradually introduce your child to a wider range of foods, including new fruits and vegetables:
- Give them bite-sized amounts at first. Large portions of unfamiliar foods will be off-putting.
- Praise your child for trying new foods, but don’t criticise them if they don’t. Mealtimes should be fun, not stressful or like a test.
- It may take several attempts before your child tries a new food. Be patient and keep giving the food to the child on different occasions. Evidence suggests that a new food needs to be given up to 15 times before it is accepted, but only a very small amount (bite-sized) needs to be given each time.
Be active
Good food is only one part of achieving a healthy weight. It’s also important that your child is physically active.
Physical activity burns calories that your child has consumed. It’s also important if your child is to develop strong, healthy bones and muscles. Best of all, physical play is part of childhood, and it's great fun.
Children who can walk on their own should be physically active every day for at least 180 minutes (3 hours), spread throughout the day, indoors or out.
Apart from when they're sleeping, children under the age of five should not be sedentary (inactive) for extended periods. Watching TV, travelling by car, bus or train or being strapped into a buggy for long periods isn't good for a child's health and development.
Read more about physical activity guidelines for children, and ideas on keeping them active.
