Overweight How to Handle Chubbiness

How to Handle Chubbiness

Baby fat was adorable on your infant--but now that he's older you're starting to worry about his pudginess. Perhaps you can remember how cruelly children taunted overweight classmates when you were a child, and you don't want your child to suffer.

So you take your child to the doctor, who confirms that Junior is a bit heavier than average for his size and reassures you that he doesn't have a hormonal problem.

Now what? Is your child's chubbiness a natural phase he'll grow out of or the result of genetics? You just can't tell. But trying to force your child to lose weight will frustrate both you and your child. What you can do is ensure that your entire family eats right and stays fit and help your chubby child feel good about himself. Here's what the experts recommend.

Forget about diets. Forcing a child to diet or limiting portions could encourage the eating problem you want to avoid, says Alvin N. Eden, M.D., associate clinical professor of pediatrics at the New York Hospital--Cornell Medical Center, chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, both in New York City, and author of Positive Parenting and Dr. Eden's Healthy Kids. Your child may resent your interference and begin to hoard food or eat all he can when you're not around, for example. Older children, particularly girls, can become obsessed with weight loss and develop eating disorders.

If a child is tremendously overweight and concerned about it, doctors recommend that the child not try to lose weight too rapidly. Slowing down weight gain as he continues to grow makes the most sense.

Be positive. Don't tell your child he is fat or nag him about his weight. All that does is undermine his self-esteem, says Barton D. Schmitt, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, director of consultative services at the Ambulatory Care Center at Children's Hospital of Denver and author of Your Child's Health. ''In fact, don't discuss his weight at all, unless he brings it up.'' If your child expresses concern about being chubby, explain that what's important is that he eat plenty of nutritious foods and get lots of exercise to help him grow up strong and healthy.

Help your child like his body. Reassure your child that you love him just the way he is, says Dr. Schmitt, and explain that people come in all shapes and sizes. And never talk disparagingly about your own hefty thighs or make rude comments about a fat person on television.

Have family and friends clam up. Well-meaning family and friends can make both you and your child miserable by saying things like, ''My, Susie is getting chubby!'' or ''I can't believe you're letting her eat dessert!'' Politely but firmly tell the do-gooder that Susie looks fine to you, suggests Dr. Schmitt-and give Susie a big hug if she happens to overhear.

Make all changes a family affair. ''Any dietary changes should be made for the whole family, not an isolated individual,'' says Jodie Shield, R.D., a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association and an instructor of clinical nutrition at Rush University in Chicago. That way, you're not singling out one child by putting her on a diet--rather, you're instituting a healthier way of eating for everyone.

And if you want to discourage your plump child from eating certain foods such as potato chips and soda, then it's best not to bring those foods into the house, she says.

Switch habits slowly. When you're changing your child's diet, ''small steps work best,'' says Gail Frank, R.D., a registered dietitian, professor of nutrition at California State University in Long Beach and a spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. '' You want to develop a new habit pattern, which, if done slowly, becomes ingrained. If you try to make changes too quickly, it will always seem like a sacrifice,'' she says.

Eat at the table. ''Eating becomes almost unconscious if it's done while watching T V or reading,'' says Frank. That's how excess calories wind up in your child before he knows what's happened, she says.

Make it clear to your child that he should only eat when he stops all other activities. ''Create an atmosphere for eating that focuses only on eating,'' says Frank.

Slow down the pace. In these fast-paced times, many families develop the habit of gobbling meals. And children who eat fast tend to pack in more food than those who take longer, says William J. Klish, M.D., professor of pediatrics and head of the section of nutrition and gastroenterology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Encourage the whole family to eat slowly and enjoy their food. Slower eating gives the brain a chance to tell the stomach that it's full.

Feed a hungry child. In general, you want your child to learn to set his own limits on how much he eats. '' Withholding food from a child who is hungry will just lead to overeating whenever he gets a chance,'' says Dr. Schmitt. You also don't want your child to fear becoming hungry or not having enough to eat.

Furnish healthy snacks. Most children need refueling between meals, says Dr. Eden, and a midmorning or midafternoon snack can keep your child from being ravenous and overeating at mealtime. But be sure to serve nutritious snacks such as plain popcorn, fruit or vegetables or a slice of low-fat cheese, and always serve them at the table.

Limit television viewing. ''Too much television viewing is one of the leading factors contributing to rapid weight gain and obesity,'' says Dr. Schmitt. ''This usually becomes a problem at the age where children are allowed to watch T V without checking first with a parent--probably around school age.'' The more time children spend watching T V, the less time they're jumping rope, playing hopscotch or riding bikes.

And to make matters worse, kids routinely snack on junk food while they watch the tube. ''It becomes a knee-jerk reaction,'' says Dr. Klish. ''In other words, as soon as your child sits down in front of the T V she gets hungry and wants a snack.''

Remove temptation. Some people are ''cue sensitive'' and want to eat whenever they see a reminder of food, says Dr. Eden, who recommends ''fat-proofing'' your house. Clearing your house of bags of chips and putting away items such as candy dishes or cookie jars will make your child less likely to eat just because the food isn't right in front of him.

Beware of breakfast traps. Take a look at the label of your children's favorite breakfast cereal--it may be packed with sugar. Slowly wean your kids off high-sugar cereals and onto low-sugar, high-fiber cereals, adding fruit instead of sugar if they miss the sweetness. Or serve homemade oatmeal, whole-grain muffins or yogurt. For a treat, says Frank, give your kids whole-wheat pancakes or pancakes with fruit. These are low in fat, unlike eggs and bacon or sausage.

Take your child food shopping. ''The supermarket is a learning laboratory,'' says Frank. By taking your child along on shopping trips, you can teach her all about foods and how to make healthy choices. And if your child is allowed to select foods (within limitations, of course), he will be more likely to eat them. Point out some healthy snack or breakfast items, for example, and let him choose which ones he wants.

Encourage exercise. ''I try to get every child involved in some team sport or some form of physical fitness,'' says Dr. Schmitt. ''Encourage your child to walk or bike to a friend's house instead of driving her there. Ask her to walk the dog every day. See if there's an aerobics class she might join at school or the Y, or a swimming program,'' he says. But don't push your child into a sport she isn't interested in.

Plan active family outings. Family outings don't have to center around a meal in a restaurant or a trip to the ice cream store. ''Go to the zoo,'' suggests Shield. ''Or organize a game of softball for neighborhood families.''

And remember that children copy the behavior they see. The more your child sees you being active, the more likely he will be active, too.