How to help autistic child lose weight

a guide for all audiences

Eating a varied diet is good for your health, but many people don't achieve this. Some autistic people have a restricted diet, eating only a limited range of food. Others may over-eat. This guide explores common issues, including pica, and ways you can help.

Problems to look out for

There’s no need to be too concerned if the person is eating foods from each of the main food groups, and if a child, is growing well. Get advice if the person is:

accepting fewer than 20 foods
refusing all foods from one or more food groups
constipated – constipation can have a huge impact on appetite and may require medication
suffering from tooth decay as a result of their diet
losing weight or not growing well
gaining weight excessively
displaying behaviour, eg tiredness or pica (eating non-edible items) that might indicate a vitamin or mineral deficiency (eg iron deficiency anaemia)
missing school due to eating problems
coughing and choking while eating, or has recurrent chest infections, especially if they have developmental delay or physical disabilities
missing out on social opportunities, eg if they and their family can rarely go out due to the eating problems.

Finding the cause

Start to take note of what is eaten and when. Sometimes, a food diary can be reassuring – you may in fact see that the person eats a wider range of foods than you originally thought.

Here are some examples of what to include.

What time of the day did they eat? – 11.05
What did they eat? – Salt and vinegar crisps
Where did they eat? – In the living room
How much did they eat? – Two bags
Who was there? – Mum, brother
How did people around respond to the person eating the particular food? – Mum praised, brother had no reaction
Were there any environmental factors? – Radio was on in the background

This could reveal some causes of the eating difficulties, whether over-eating or restricted eating. Try to work out whether it is the amount, type or range of food being eaten which is the core issue, and then what underlying problems, or sensory differences, may be involved.

General ways to help

Communication

With any approach, it is important that you communicate in a clear, consistent and calm way.

A social story could help someone to understand why we eat and the function of food, eg:

food provides us with fuel/power, which enables us to do things we enjoy
eating food from all the food groups gives us energy
 missing out food groups can make us tired.

Presenting information visually can also help. You could:

produce clear daily and/or weekly menus of foods – display the time of next meal in a prominent position
provide visual tools to help the person express and recognise their needs, feelings and preferences, such as stress scales, hunger and fullness scales, or happy/unhappy face pictures
have a food group chart, with a rule that they must have at least one food from each group each day.

Try not to categorise foods into healthy and unhealthy, or good and bad. This can sometimes be taken too literally and can cause further problems.

Try to be very specific when talking about food, or using pictures of food. For example, apples look and taste different, but we call them all apples. It's possible that the person likes Golden Delicious apples, and dislikes Braeburns, but is confused by you showing them a picture of a green apple, then bringing them a red one.

Rewards

Using reward systems can be effective. However, avoid using a preferred food as a reward for trying a new or non-preferred food. It could make the preferred food even more attractive, and the new food appear like a chore. Also, ensure the emphasis of the reward is not just on eating a certain amount of a non-preferred food, but on tolerating new food being around, or tasting a new food.

Exercise

Encourage activities which involve movement and exercise. This can help with weight loss (if that's needed) and reducing stress, which may have contributed to over-eating or under-eating. If the person is reluctant, think about whether there could be any underlying reasons, eg difficulty with balance or socialising.

Modelling

It can be helpful to model the behaviour you're trying to encourage. This might mean that the whole family takes part in exercise, avoids snacking between meals, or follows a rule about eating something each day from each food group.

Always speak to a GP, dietitian or other medical professional about the problems.

Common food issues and ways to address them

Below are some examples of possible underlying problems – including sensory differences, illness and food presentation – and things you could try to address them.

What works for one person may not work for another.

Sensory experience

Many autistic people experience sensory differences; being over or under-sensitive to sights, sounds, smells, tastes and textures. This can affect a person's experience of meals and relationship with food, and cause anxiety around food.

Environment

The person might find it too distracting to eat in a noisy canteen – find out if they could eat in a quiet room instead. The chair they sit on may be too hard – add a cushion.

Playing some favourite music or a story in the background can be relaxing, distracting the person from the usual anxiety around eating.

Food

People who are very sensitive to smells and taste may prefer to eat quite bland food, and may find strong food smells overpowering. Under-sensitivity to taste or smell may mean the person prefers stronger flavours. Particular smells and flavours may be a source of intense pleasure. Some people might find the feeling of hard food, or sloppy food, unbearable.

"I had a big problem with food. I liked to eat things that were bland and uncomplicated…I didn't want to try anything new…I was supersensitive to the texture of food, and I had to touch everything with my fingers to see how it felt before I could put it in my mouth."

Baron and Baron (1992) in Attwood (1998), p. 96

Try modifying food to improve the sensory experience, for example by puréeing, and introduce a new food or textures in small steps, for a gradual desensitisation.

First let the person just look at it, then touch it, then invite them to put the food on their plate, then smell it, lick it, put it into their mouth, bite it, chew it, and swallow it. Try not to react negatively to food being spat out. This is helping them to become comfortable with different foods being in and around their mouth.

These steps could take months to complete. Try to see the goal as learning about and being comfortable around different foods, rather than getting them to eat all of the different foods presented.

Discomfort and illness

Physical pain and discomfort can affect how a person eats. Gut pain could cause a person to over-eat for comfort. Constipation can dampen appetite. Heartburn can stop someone wanting to continue to eat. Toothache and mouth ulcers can make someone reluctant to put things in their mouth. Some medication can affect appetite (eg Ritalin) or cause stomach upsets (eg antibiotics). A bloated intestine could cause a person to feel full when in fact they aren't.

Support the person to communicate physical pain or discomfort, eg by using a visual stress scale, PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System), pictures of body parts, symbols for symptoms, or pain scales, pain charts or apps.

Food presentation

Attention to detail, and difficulty with change, is characteristic of autistic people. The way the food is presented or positioned on the plate, or the food's packaging, may dictate whether it is eaten or not.

Has the positioning of the food on the plate been altered? Is the food over- or undercooked? Are there 'bits' on the food? Has the packaging changed? Is the logo a different colour? Is the box damaged? Have you bought a different brand?

Social considerations

Some people eat better in the company of their family or peers. They may be more willing to try new foods if they see other people trying the same food and enjoying it.

For others, the social nature of mealtimes can be stressful. They might be more relaxed, and eat more volume or variety, if they ate alone in another room.

If a meal is not going to be at home, prepare the person in advance by telling them who will be there, who will they be sitting with or next to, what people might talk about, and what they could say to start a conversation.

Obsessions, special interests and routines

Many autistic people have obsessions. If certain foods, or calorie counting, is an obsession, this could lead to over-eating, under-eating or a rigid diet.

But obsessions, or special interests, can also prove helpful.

You could try to channel an obsession with eating, or with weight loss, into something positive such as cooking and writing recipes. You could use a special interest to encourage them to eat more volume or variety, eg by eating from a Thomas the Tank Engine plate, cutting food into rocket shapes, or exploring foods from the country or region of their favourite singer or sports team.

Many autistic people rely on routine and sameness. To eat well, they may need to have meals at the same time every day, be seated in the same position at the table, or always use the same plate or cutlery.

This need for sameness could also explain a person's preference for processed foods. Processed foods are predictable, designed to look and taste the same each time. In contrast, there will always be natural variation in fresh food. Introduce new foods or textures in small steps.

Coping strategy

Sometimes, what appears as an obsession is in fact a coping strategy. Some autistic people say the world feels overwhelming and this can cause them considerable anxiety. Some people may over-eat, or avoid food, as a result of low self-esteem or anxiety.

Try to minimise any stressful things the food diary has revealed, or encourage a different coping strategy, such as spending time on their special interest, or using the Brain in Hand support app.

Volume and variety

If over-eating is still a problem after looking for causes and ways to address them, you could try:

reducing food portions, and using a smaller plate
showing them the empty saucepan, confirming verbally that the food has all gone
limiting access to food by keeping it out of reach, using locks or visuals such as no entry signs on fridges and cupboards, or not buying it at all in the case of snack foods like crisps and chocolate
setting rules relating to restaurants and food shops eg if you have a starter you cannot have a pudding
creating a food timetable, eg snacks at 10am, 3pm and 7pm, reducing the amount of food intake gradually
providing visual hunger and fullness scales to help with expressing and recognising cues.

If under-eating is still a problem, you could try:

increasing food portions, and using a bigger plate
increasing the person's contact with food – making simple things such as sandwiches, fruit kebabs, little cakes or pizzas – to encourage positive associations
providing visual hunger and fullness scales to help with expressing and recognising cues
introducing a food book – place pictures or drawings of foods that the person likes in the front of the book, and those they don't at the back. As they try new food and expand their diet, the pictures can be gradually moved forward in the book.

Pica

Pica refers to eating or mouthing non-edible items, such as stones, dirt, metal, faeces.

The reason a person on the autism spectrum might experience pica could be medical, dietary, sensory or behavioural and include:

not understanding which items are edible and inedible
seeking out sensory input – the texture or the taste of the item
relieving anxiety or stress
relieving pain or discomfort
displaying a symptom of iron deficiency 
a continuing of infant mouthing behaviour, or a later occurrence of the mouthing phase
seeking attention
avoiding a demand.

You could try to:

set up a sorting activity for the person to sort edible and inedible items
use PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) to encourage the person to put appropriate items in their mouth and reward them
replace the inappropriate item with an appropriate alternative of a similar texture, eg a crunchy carrot stick, a chewy bracelet, popcorn, chewing gum
visit the GP or dentist to rule out any medical problems, oral pain or nutritional deficiencies, or to seek referral to an occupational therapist
increase the amount of structured activities in the person’s day
respond as neutrally as possible when the behaviour occurs, giving a firm 'no' with little eye contact, reinforcing it with a symbol
reduce demands placed on the person
distract and divert their attention.

Other conditions

Eating can be affected by a delay in physical development or low muscle tone. You could encourage activities that help to develop mouth and jaw movement such as using straws, blowing a whistle, blowing bubbles or using a toothbrush.

Some people over-eat because they aren't able to know when they are full. This is a symptom of Prada-Willi syndrome, a rare genetic condition.

Professionals who could help

Your GP might refer you to one or more of the following professionals or places.

Dentist: eating difficulties may result in, or be affected by, poor dental hygiene management or toothache.
Dietitian: they offer assessment and treatment of dietary related health problems such as constipation, allergies and intolerances as well as practical advice on eating problems, weight gain and weight loss. Ask your GP or consultant to refer you to an NHS dietitian or find a private dietitian.
Eating disorder clinic.
Clinical psychologist or psychiatrist: if the problem is thought to be psychological, these professionals can help with behaviour strategies.
Paediatrician: experts in child health issues who can help provide solutions to dietary issues and investigate underlying problems.
Occupational therapist (OT): may be able to offer advice on how you manage the situation at home. Use our Autism Services Directory to find an occupational therapist with autism experience, and other OTs in private practice.
Speech and language therapist (SALT): can advise on feeding issues and swallowing problems (dysphagia). Use our Autism Services Directory to find a speech and language therapist with autism experience, and other SALTS in private practice.
Counsellor: trained to talk through a variety of issues. Use our Autism Services Directory to find a counsellor with autism experience.

Further information

Autism Services Directory
Our autism and sensory experience online training module
Our Parent to Parent services
Eating disorders – link to new page in our mental health section
beat, the UK's eating disorder charity
Can't eat won't eat: dietary difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders, Brenda Legge (2002)
The Eatwell Guide (NHS)
Food chaining - the proven 6-step plan to stop picky eating, solve feeding problems, and expand your child's diet, Cheri Fraker (2007)
Food…fun, healthy and safe, Books Beyond Words
We are grateful to Zoe Connor, member of Paediatric Autism, for her advice on this page.

Personal accounts

Autism and controlled eating
Autism and eating: compassion and connection

Articles for professionals

Eating disorder or disordered eating?
Supporting autistic people with eating difficulties
Autism and eating issues: an interview with Dr Elizabeth Shea (video)
Top five autism tips for professionals: eating issues

Autism and Obesity: When Exercise and Healthy Diet Aren’t Enough

“Our 8-year-old has autism and is minimally verbal. His problem is knowing when to stop eating. He’s 4 foot 4 and 125 pounds with a 35-inch waist. We tried giving him smaller portions on a smaller plate. Doesn’t work. He’s very active and exercises – playing basketball, running, swimming and just playing. But he’s still gaining weight. We eat a very healthy diet, no junk food. I don’t know what to do. I’m afraid he’s going to drop dead of a heart attack.”

Editor’s note: The following information is not meant to diagnose or treat and should not take the place of personal consultation, as appropriate, with a qualified healthcare professional and/or behavioral therapist.

This week’s “Food for Thought” answer is by pediatric psychologists Wendy Ward and Elizabeth Pulliam. Both practice at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children's Hospital. The university and medical center are part of the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network (ATN). Dr. Pulliam co-authored the Autism Speaks ATN/AIR-P tool kit: Exploring Feeding Behavior in in Autism: A Guide for Parents. (Follow the title link for free download.)

Thank you for reaching out. The issues you describe are shared by so many families with loved ones on the autism spectrum. Helping children adopt healthy eating behaviors is a struggle for many parents, and developmental challenges can add to the difficulty. Last year, research by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that nearly a third of children with autism are severely overweight, compared to 13 percent of typically developing children.

See “CDC Study Flags High Rate of Obesity among Teens with Autism.”

Research has found several factors that contribute to the problem. They include a tendency for reduced physical activity and poor nutrition. In addition, weight gain can result as a side effect of certain behavioral medicines. We know that parents and other caregivers need guidance to understand and respond to these complex issues.

It’s good to hear that your son is physically active and provided with plenty of healthy food options in your home. At the same time, you’re right to be concerned.

By your measurements, your son has a body mass index (BMI) of 32.5. This is above the 99th percentile for boys his age. BMI does not tell the whole story. However, it can be a general indicator of risk for serious, weight-related medical problems affecting the heart, lung and liver.

A team approach to treatment
Helping a child on the spectrum with weight issues is complex. So we urge you to seek professional support in tackling the issue. Patients over the 95th percentile are often seen in a multi-specialty weight treatment clinic. The care team typically includes a physician, specialty nurse, dietician, physical activity specialist and psychologist.

We would recommend a team that has special training to work with overweight youth, including those with developmental challenges. Many children’s hospitals have excellent weight-management programs.

The physician in the team can evaluate your son for possible metabolic conditions and weight-related side effects from medications. We know that certain behavioral medications such as antipsychotics (e.g. Risperdal) and antidepressants can interfere with knowing when one is “full.” As a result, these medications frequently have the side effect of weight gain. The doctor can discuss possible alternatives to these medicines.

In addition, the doctor can evaluate for hyperphagia. This medical term describes intense feelings of hunger that don’t go away even after eating a large amount of food. Some research has suggested that this may results from hormonal imbalance.

The dietician on the team can help design an eating plan for your son. He or she can help you understand how much food and what kinds of food your son needs. It sounds like you are already off to a good start with healthful food choices for your entire family.

The psychologist on the team can identify and address eating-related behavioral issues. Examples include impulsive eating, eating-related rituals, refusal to stop eating, sneaking food and so on. The psychologist can help you develop a strong plan for responding to your son’s problem behaviors. This often includes setting and enforcing clear limits.

The psychologist can also work with your son to improve his hunger awareness. Hunger awareness is the ability to know when you are becoming hungry and need to eat. It is equally important in realizing when you are full and need to stop.

Many children with developmental and/or sensory issues struggle with hunger awareness. It really is another type of inner “sense.”

Strategies to try at home
Meanwhile, here are a few strategies you can try at home:

* Engage your son’s interest in another activity as soon as he finishes the meal portion you’ve given him. Get him focused on something besides food!

* Consistently reward appropriate eating behaviors. But avoid using food as the reward. Choose something else that your son enjoys.

* Keep food out of your son’s sight and reach.

* In our practice, we use a visual chart called the Hunger Awareness Scale to remind children to think about their level of hunger and to distinguish hunger from other needs such as the need for stimulation or attention. (Click on the title link to see and download the full-size scale.)

* Provide regularly scheduled meals and snacks with enough time in between for your son’s stomach to empty. We’ve learned that snacking throughout the day decreases hunger awareness. In other words, having food in the belly throughout the day can keep your son from experiencing the feeling of hunger that he needs to recognize.

None of these strategies are quick fixes. Again, we want to emphasize that it’s important to work with health professionals experienced with these issues.

The importance of sleep
It’s also important to make sure your son gets enough sleep. We know from research that sleep deprivation can increase production of brain hormones that reduce hunger awareness.

Unfortunately sleep disturbances are another common health issue for both children and adults with autism. For helpful strategies, we recommend the Autism Speaks ATN/AIR Sleep Tool Kits – one for young children and a second one for teens. Both can be downloaded, free of charge, from the Autism Speaks website.

It’s okay to say “no”
As parents, it’s natural for us to want to feed our children when they say they are hungry. However, children with poor hunger awareness or hyperphagia often ask for more food than they need.

So continue to place a healthy combination of carbohydrates, protein, fruit and vegetables on your son’s plate – in a healthy amount. Then, say “no,” to seconds.

As we mentioned earlier, it’s also helpful to eat on a schedule. A visual schedule can help your son keep track. If he asks for food in between scheduled meals and snacks, reply along the lines of:

“I’m sorry. It’s not time to eat yet. Our next meal is in 30 minutes.” Then offer praise for acceptance of your rule and ignore or redirect his attention if he continues to fuss.

Smarter food choices
While your family eats a healthy diet, it can help to increase the proportion of foods that have lower fat content and do a better job of helping your son feel full. These foods include fruits, vegetables and lean protein.

It’s so wonderful that your son enjoys being physically active. We hope you’ll continue to encourage your son to engage in at least an hour of vigorous physical activity each day. Some children need this broken down into a couple of periods of vigorous activity a day, until they can handle a full hour

Thanks again for your question. Please let us know how you and your son are doing in the comment section below or by emailing us again at [email protected].

How to help a child lose weight correctly and without harm to health?

January 3, 2020

May 27, 2021

5 minutes

61633

ProWellness

Contents

Causes of excess weight in a child
Why is excess weight harmful in childhood?
How to lose weight in childhood?
Children under three years of age
Preschoolers, primary school age
Adolescents
Ground rules
Featured Products

Disclaimer

Please note that all information posted on the site Prowellness is provided for informational purposes only and is not a personal program, a direct recommendation for action, or medical advice. Do not use these materials for diagnosis, treatment, or any medical procedure. Consult your physician before using any technique or using any product. This site is not a specialized medical portal and does not replace the professional advice of a specialist. The Site Owner is not liable to any party who has suffered indirect or direct damage as a result of misuse of materials posted on this resource.

How to help a child lose weight correctly and without harm to health?

Adults and children are often overweight. The child grows and develops, so you can not put him on a strict diet and use fasting. Reducing weight, it is important not to stop the development, not to harm the growing, fragile body.

Causes of excess weight in a child

First you need to find the cause of the problem. There are several factors that affect the appearance of overweight in children:

Wrong attitude towards food. Often, mothers feed their children themselves, believing that a good appetite is a sign of health. Eat well - here's a supplement for you. Infant fatness at a certain age is a problem.
Sedentary lifestyle. Modern children, instead of outdoor games, sit near the computer, play gadgets, parents encourage this. Lack of movement leads to weight gain.
Heredity. Full parents from the first days should take care of the baby's weight, paying special attention to this. For example, you should reduce the consumption of sugar-containing foods: sweet carbonated drinks, ice cream, chocolate, sweets, lollipops. You should also reduce the proportion of foods with hidden sugar: fat-free yogurt and regular yogurt, cottage cheese mass or cheese curds, tomato sauces or ketchups, mayonnaise, instant cereals, sausages and sausages, cereals, muesli, granola, muesli bars and protein bars. Eating habits are laid down in early childhood, up to 5 years, so it is important to monitor the child's diet.

Attention! Are several causes of excess weight combined at once? The child is at risk of obesity.

Why is excess weight harmful in childhood?

If the child is overweight, the following problems threaten:

Deformation of a fragile spine.
Early heart problems - just can't handle the load.
Metabolic disorders - the pancreas cannot cope with its work, there is a risk of diabetes mellitus, which can manifest itself not only in childhood, but also many years later in adulthood.
Complexes. Psychologically, the teenager will be uncomfortable, because in the team they often laugh at the overweight, which can lead to bullying of the child, the so-called school bullying. An inferiority complex develops, which can remain in adulthood.

Introducing a tasty treat that will become an additional source of vitamins for your child - Ditops Fruit Chewable Tablets with Vitamins A, C and D. Three main vitamins for every day in a convenient form will be good helpers for strengthening the immune system and the growth of the child.

Attention! You can determine excess weight by appearance, body index, or simply by showing the child to the doctor.

How to lose weight in childhood?

Different weight loss methods have been developed for children of different ages. It is important for parents to follow the recommendations in order not to start the problem.

Children under three years old

It is necessary to consult a pediatrician. More often the reason lies in an endocrine disorder or overeating. It is enough to balance the diet, check the functioning of the endocrine system.

Preschool children, primary school age

It is difficult to control nutrition here, since the child eats more often outside the home. At home, more and more often, an “independent” baby begins to pull food from the parent’s table into his mouth. Either the whole family will have to switch to a healthy diet or control the child.

Teenagers

Some see the problem themselves, try to go on a diet. Sometimes they go to extremes, up to a hunger strike. This negatively affects health.

Attention! Excess weight can occur due to hormonal failure that occurs during adolescence.

Basic Rules

In order for a child to lose weight, it is important to follow a few rules:

Eliminate all fast carbohydrates and fats from your daily diet.
Limit high-calorie foods.
Increase the menu of dairy products, vegetables, fruits, fish.
You can take dietary supplements containing omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, calcium, iodine. If they are not enough in the usual food of the child, then this can lead to an increased need for food, as the body tries to make up for their deficiency.
Meals should be frequent and small.
Exclude fast food completely.
To rid the child of the habit of constantly snacking on something. Computer lovers are especially affected by this.
Increase activity and exercise. Send the child to the sports section.

To normalize the functioning of the digestive system, we recommend using herbal tea from wild herbs No. 5 (Comfortable digestion) - Baikal Tea Collection with chamomile, Kuril tea, plantain and volushka. This herbal drink helps to find comfort and ease in the stomach.

As a substitute for fast food, you can use Natural gummies (orange) - Yoo Go without sugar. In each marmalade - the maximum benefit of turmeric and orange. Curcumin helps to gain harmony, normalize appetite and provide antioxidant protection. Isomalt and orange soy provide natural sweetness, and isomalt is also a prebiotic and helps nourish the intestinal microflora.

Sometimes it is better to be an example to your child. But it is important that he does not skip meals, does not go on hunger strikes. Remember, in the pursuit of harmony, you can lose your health. Only reasonable and competent actions are needed.

Disclaimer

Expert: Elagina Maria Business Profi of Siberian Wellness and nutritionist in cosmetics

Reviewer: Ekaterina Vorobieva Adept of a healthy and active lifestyle

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doctor's advice for parents - Into-Sana

How to lose weight for a child? Why do children gain weight? What are the dangers of being overweight and childhood obesity? These questions are answered by the pediatrician of the first category, the pediatric gastroenterologist of the Into-Sana medical centers, Polischuk Tatiana Sergeevna, from the portal The only one.

How to lose weight for a child: child weight norms

Parents should definitely know that the most intensive accumulation of fat occurs in infants under 1 year old, at the age of 5-7 years, in adolescents 12-17 years old. Moreover, only 1% of children are overweight due to genetic or endocrine pathology.

All other cases of obesity in children are associated with excessive intake of food in the body or with an unbalanced diet, in other words, with overeating, or with an incorrect sedentary lifestyle.

By the age of 6 months, the baby should double its initial weight, by 12 months - triple. After a year, children gain about 2 kg per year (up to 5 years). At the age of 5, the average weight is 18-22 kg, at 10 years old 28-34 kg, at 12 years old 36-45 kg. An approximate calculation of the body weight of a child from 2 to 5 years old can be carried out according to the following formula: M \u003d 10 + 2n, where n is the child's age in years.

After 10 years, the annual increase is 4 kg, the formula for the calculation will be: M = 30 + 4 (n-10), where 30 is the average weight of a child at 10 years old, n is the age of the child. Pediatricians have special tables for assessing the weight and height of the child.

Obesity has long been recognized as a disease. In medicine, obesity (overnutrition) is defined as a chronic disease characterized by generalized excessive accumulation of fat in the subcutaneous tissue and other tissues of the body, weight gain, and metabolic disorders.

Why are doctors so worried when a child gains weight?

Yes, because if appropriate measures to normalize weight are not taken in time, it can come into adulthood with a whole range of serious illnesses: high blood pressure, disruption of the nervous and cardiovascular systems, diabetes mellitus, fatty degeneration of the liver, cholelithiasis , pathology of the reproductive system.

Obesity occurs when caloric intake exceeds energy expenditure. The most important factor in the increase in the incidence of obesity is the consumption of high-fat foods, as well as a rich diet high in digestible carbohydrates, especially in the evening. It is difficult to deny that today the decrease in physical activity is rapidly progressing: children spend more and more time in front of the TV, at the computer, less and less prefer walking and outdoor games.

How to lose weight for a child: top tips

The first and most difficult step for parents is to admit that their child is overweight. If parents are aware of the fact that a child needs help with weight loss, this is already half the battle on the road to success. The second point is the realization that the fight against obesity is a long process, psychologically difficult for the child and his family members.

Food for a child can be, first of all, a source of pleasure, a way of avoiding problems at school or in the family, "jamming" complexes - as a result, the development of overweight, obesity, diabetes, etc. And here it can be difficult for parents to understand the essence of the problem. Psychologists and psychotherapists will come to the rescue.

It is not an easy task for parents to explain to a child why it is necessary to change his eating habits. By no means can it be said that his diet has changed because he is fat. When telling your child about food, explain that we owe our well-being and health to the foods we eat, that food should be healthy and complete.

As a rule, children of overweight parents become overweight due to "inheritance" of eating habits. It is in the family that we get used to eating this way and not otherwise. Have you ever wondered where sweets, cakes, cookies come from in your house? That's right, you bought it yourself.

The habit of buying “something sweet for tea” takes root very quickly, but this is definitely not a tradition that will bring peace and harmony to the family. Try instead of sweets to buy more fruits, vegetables, greens, fish, natural meat.

Avoid when buying sausages, sausages, mayonnaise, convenience foods. And for cooking, try to use methods without adding fat - do not fry, but bake or use stewing, boil, steam. Do not allow the child to eat in front of the TV, while reading a book: if he is carried away, he will eat much more; prohibit the use of chips, nuts, popcorn, chocolate and waffle bars. The whole family needs to eat right. Many people have to change their eating habits. Limit the use of bakery products, pasta, dumplings, jams for the whole family, exclude semolina.

Lean meats, lean fish, eggs, dairy products (preferably in the form of fermented milk drinks, cottage cheese) must be included in the diet. And for tea you can buy dried fruits - raisins, dried apricots, prunes. The main thing when a child follows a low-calorie diet is the support of all family members, a favorable attitude, encouragement and faith in a good result.

Remember that the only way to correct primary obesity is to reduce caloric intake and increase physical activity.