How Do I Stop My Kids From Being Overweight??

I had a phone call the other from a lady who was very concerned about her children’s weight. She called to see if there was anything I could do…

I invited her down for a consultation because I wanted to ask more questions and find out more information before giving out any advice. When she arrived, and before any words were spoken I knew the problem straight away…

This lady was morbidly obese!

After pleasantries I asked her the following….

“If I had a magic wand and could give you exactly what you want what would that be?”

After some thought she came back with…

“well, I guess I want my kids to lose weight and be more active”

me – “why?”

lady – “because one is getting bullied at school for it and the other one is tired and irritable all of the time”

me – “what do you think has caused this issue?”

lady – “well…. I guess they just eat too much”

me – “I don’t think that’s the real issue to be honest”.

lady – “what do you mean?”

The Real Issues…

As i’m sure any parent will know kids copy their behaviour, it’s like the game ‘Simon Says’ or that famous old expression “monkey see, monkey do!”

It’s no use trying to get your kids to lose weight and eat healthy if you don’t…

“Actions speak louder than words”

Here are some things you can do to help your children in relation to health and fitness…

#1 Practice what you preach

If you want your kids to exercise, you’ve got to exercise. Whether that’s walking, running, cycling, tennis, gym, etc. Do it and explain to them why you do it… “Dad exercises because he wants to live longer”… “mum goes to the gym because it makes her feel better”, etc, etc. Positively reinforce the benefits and let them see how much better it makes you feel.

#2 Never ‘EVER’ blame your children

It’s not their fault, they have been conditioned by you and their environment. NEVER EVER blame or shame them for their weight. This will only create BIGGER issues further down the line and could potentially lead to eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, etc.

#3 Exercise together

Go for family walks, whether that’s in the Peak District, a walk around the block or to the local shops. You could also kick a football ball around the park, or play tennis… just get moving!

#4 Reward your kids

Not with food! but with praise, let them know how proud of them you are for exercising more.

#5 Get them involved in a team

The local community has a wide variety of sports for children to get involved in. Whether that’s football, tennis, rugby, squash, swimming, etc, etc. Check out what’s available and get them involved.

#6 Don’t draw attention to their weight

The more you do this, the more you create an issue which could potentially be a battle for life. Like I said earlier, lead by example, as a parent you must eat well and exercise. If you do this they will lose weight anyway, but for kids it should never be the main focus.

#7 Set fun family challenges

For example you could say that each week as a family, you aim to complete 150,000 steps. If you hit your target you reward yourself with a movie or trip to the cinema.

#8 Cook healthy family meals together

During the week, or at least at the weekends – encourage your children to help you in the kitchen. Get them excited and teach them how to make healthy recipes.

Back To The Story…

After explaining the above solutions, and understanding my point about ‘leading by example’ this lady decided to start working with me on a 1-1 basis, 3 sessions per week for the next 4 months. I’ve promised to help educate her along the way and i’m excited to share the results…

Thanks for reading,

Nick 🙂

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