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Overweight and Underweight ChildrenThere are a number of reasons that cause a child to become overweight. A glandular imbalance can be the cause or heredity or over indulgence in food can be the cause. There are some kids who have a natural love of food while others overeat when they are bored, unhappy or trying to please parents who are over-indulgent and urge them constantly to eat more than they want or should. No matter what the cause the simple fact remains that diseases and accidents are more common in children who are fat. In addition, the child will be the target of unnecessary teasing when they reach adolescence when personal appearance plays a major role in life. You should take your child to a doctor to see if there is an endocrine disorder if they are overweight. If there is no endocrine disorder then you should train you child to eat less since it is probably the excess of food that is making them fatter. Make them develop a hobby such as reading, writing or painting to help them take their mind off food. The mind will have no time to dwell on food if it is kept busily occupied. A diet that is high in lean meats, fish, chicken, eggs, skim milk, cottage cheese, fruits and vegetables is more important than a diet of fried foods and heavy desserts. Prevent them from sitting in one place for long periods of time and encourage long walks, play tennis, ride a bicycle or go swimming. Both good health and a good figure will result if they keep active and move about. It is good to have a weekly diary to track weight and essential measurements. Make sure you use a reliable scale to weigh them on. You may become depressed if you weigh the child more than once since the weight may vary from hour to hour and this can weigh heavily on your mind. Weight is normally less in the morning than it is in the evening since the stomach is empty and fluid has left the body reducing weight by a half a pound or so and by the evening the child may weight one or two pounds more. Day to day the amount of weight varies as well since the water the body retains is different in the cells and the bladder. You should not be alarmed by a little increase in weight. You should weight on the same day each week in the morning and preferably in the same clothes on the same scale. You child will increase in weight again if you make them gorge on rich and heavy foods once they have lost weight. The child should learn to forgo all rich foods in their diet although the occasional rich foods is okay. Do not judge by appearances alone with an underweight child. Heredity, height, individual body structure and temperament all play a role in a child’s weight. If a child is healthy, happy and active despite being thin then extra weight may not be important. If a child is listless, easily fatigued, irritable and sickly along with a bony appearance then you should have them checked by a doctor so the condition can be corrected right away. Usually underweight children will eat less than they should. You should serve properly balanced meals to children who are problem eaters and make sure they are interestingly prepared and attractively served. Allow them to eat at their own pace in a calm and relaxed atmosphere without hurrying them or stuffing the food in their mouth. Adequate rest and mental relaxation is also an important factor in addition to diet. A good nights sleep along with a nap in the afternoon can help a thin child put on weight and also make them more active and smart. |
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