One of the major reasons of childhood obesity as identified by several researches is shared family behavior. Shared family behavior means the common activity routine of the family members including the family’s eating patterns. This is because it is the family environment which influences a child’s life the most. It is the family which decides both the social and physical make up of a child. If a child is obese there is a serious need to identify which family routine patterns are affecting the child’s health. Family head should take control and develop a healthy family routine so that the child can fight the obesity problem easily and effectively. Read also: Why Achieving a Perfect Healthy Lifestyle is Difficult?
Following are a few tips by which a family can nurture a healthy and fit environment which can help obese children lose some extra pounds:
- Family members must not think it’s easy for an overweight child to lose weight all by him or herself. A helping hand is always required thus all family members should made a collective effort to facilitate obese child to lose weight and achieve his or her weight loss target.
- Not only eating too much is an unhealthy practice but unhealthy practices also include many other practices like sleeping late, watching TV during dinner, lazy lifestyle etc which one might ignore as being unhealthy, therefore there is a need to change lifestyle thoroughly.
- A family with many unhealthy practices like exercising little, eating too much unhealthy food and sleeping late etc should start small and change their routine gradually. It is recommended to start with minor changes like not watching TV during dinner, limiting TV time for children, adding a short walk after dinner etc.
- Setting a realistic goal is very important. There is no point in setting a goal which one can’t achieve. Set an S-M-A-R-T goal which means specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and timely. To make the child feel that he is not alone when it comes to losing weight, it is very important to set the weight loss goals for all family members. For example, weight loss goal for the child could be eating fruits in lunch in which parents should incorporate him and for parents it could be going for a walk after dinner in which the child should incorporate them.
- All family members must understand the importance of their participation in weight loss program and help each other to achieve weight loss goals by introducing different ways that can help towards the goal.
- It is important to boost the child’s confidence by making him feel that he can do it and keep the whole program as positive as possible. The child must not be discouraged or demoralized at any step of losing weight rather if the child feel disheartened at any stage, the parents and other family members must help him feel good about the weight loss activity.
- Eating habits of the family must be shifted from unhealthy to healthy ones gradually but permanently. There is a need to limit eating out and avoid junk food items.
- Other than eating patterns other healthy practices must be incorporated in daily routine like early to bed and early to rise, morning or evening walk, positive attitude, love and patience, family discussions, success celebrations etc.
Changing family behaviors in general and shared family practices in specific can help the child lose weight effectively. Healthy life style should be followed so that not only the obese child but other family members can also be benefited.