Weight management for children and teenagers
Maintaining a desirable weight during childhood is very important to prevent overweight related illness developing early. Conditions such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, musculoskeletal and joint problems and certain cancers are all linked to excessive weight gain in childhood.
How do you know if you / your child is overweight?
Firstly calculate your BMI (body mass index) the calculator below found here.
This figure must then be plotted onto the BMI chart. (in adulthood you can simply take the BMI figure however children grow disproportionately, sometimes gaining whilst with minimal linear growth and other times gaining height with minimal weight gain, therefore the chart must be used to account for this).
If you / your child is overweight or obese then DO NOT PANIC. It is important that regardless of the category restrictive quick weight loss diets must NOT be started.
Children should not lose weight quickly as this can adversely affect their linear growth (ie prevent height gain). The most important factors are food intake and activity levels.
How do i know how much my child should be eating?
I would not recommend calorie counting as a very low calorie diet could be made up of very unhealthy foods. However to give you a rough idea of calorie requirements for different ages see the table below. Remember these are very rough figures as a child’s actual energy requirements are dependent on their individual metabolic rate and exercise levels.
So how do you know which changes you need to make?
Firstly write a food diary. Write down everything that you / your child eats for 3 or 4 days, also keep a note of daily activity levels. Then think about the following points.
- Are there 3 meals per day?
- Are there 5 portions of fruit and vegetables per day?
- Are the snacks all healthy options?
- Are there 3 portions of low fat dairy per day (remember children over 2 yrs can have semi skimmed milk and over 5yrs skimmed milk)
- Are all drinks water, milk or diluted fruit juice?
- Are the main meals suitable? Do they contain processed foods?
- Are portion sizes appropriate for age?
Once changes required have been highlighted make small simple changes - Once achieved another change can be made. It is important that all changes are not made at once – too many things to do will result in none being achieved.
An Ideal way to tackle overweight and inactivity in childhood is to join a community based programme. By joining a programme you / your child will develop friendships with other children who have experienced similar feelings and emotions about their weight. Research has shown that the best way to improve your / your childs lifestyle is by attending a community based intervention programme that involves education on nutrition, behaviour change and regular physical activity.
Examples of these programmes include:
Nutrifit – this is a programme run by myself in conjunction with Norwich City Football in the Community team. The programme is for 14-18yr olds and runs in Norfolk. The group offers teenagers the opportunity to improve their self esteem and make changes to their own life to improve their health. Activities include non curriculum sports such as circuits, gym work, pilates, swimming, and future sports include dance and boxfit. For more information please drop me a line.
Camp Nutrifit – nutrition and activity camp for teenagers in Norfolk, the residential camp gives teenagers the opportunity to plan and cook all their own meals for a week and take part in interactive nutrition sessions, team building games and activities. The main moto of the camp is “why weight; lets have fun”
Need more advice? Contact the query line and receive individualised advice and support.
For more information you may find the following useful:
MEND - www.mendprogramme.org
HENRY - www.henry.org.uk
Camp Carnegie - www.carnegieweightmanagement.com
Please note no responsibility is taken for any advice or support given by the above websites.