While parents have a goal weight that they feel is right for them, they also have to make sure their children maintain a healthy weight by eating a moderate portion of healthful food and staying physically active most days of the week.
To help families achieve a healthy weight, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends following these strategies:
• Consume nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The serving size will vary by age. For a 1-year-old, it is 1 tablespoon per serving of fruit or vegetable, while for an adult, it is half a cup.
• Limit the intake of sweet beverages.
• Limit screen time to two hours or less per day for children older than 2, and no screen time for those younger than 2.
• Be moderately to vigorously active a total
of 60 minutes daily.
• Eat breakfast every day.
• Limit eating out, especially at fast food restaurants.
• Eat meals together as a family.
• Control portion sizes and pay attention to the number of servings in snack foods.
• Consume higher calcium foods. Milk and other dairy foods seem to curb appetite.
• Eat a higher fiber diet. Besides eating the nine vegetables and fruits, choose mainly whole grains.
• Limit energy dense foods, especially those high in sugar and fat and low in protein, vitamins and minerals.
