Eat, Play, Love: Raising Healthy Eaters is a blog series by parents and dietitians whose stories and advice reminds us that we can overcome the challenges of feeding children. Subscribe to find ways to build lifelong healthy eating habits for your children.  

Ripping into the business envelope my friend was expecting to read a mundane update from their local school district. It was a notice that based on her five year old daughter’s height and weight, her body mass index (BMI) indicated she could be overweight.

She was directed to a few website for more information and the offer to call the school with any questions but the letter left her surprised as she never thought there was a weight issue.

School districts and pediatricians are providing more information as the number of overweight and obese children is increasing at an alarming rate. Parents, such as my friend, are rightly concerned as overweight children are at greater risk to be obese adults and may be wondering if their children should be on diets.

While it is true, a diet that restricts calories will result in weight loss, there are some important things to remember. 

First, children are not little adults; they are growing and should not be put on an adult weight loss program. Certain diets, especially calorie- or fat-restricting diets may not provide all of the nutrients kids need to physically develop. 

Second, the term “diet” usually instills ideas of restriction or elimination.  Cutting out and restricting foods or food groups may lead to unhealthful eating habits, or worse, disordered eating. 

Third, diets don’t work.  How many of you have been on a diet yourself only to be caught in a viscous cycle of weight loss and gain?  Why would we set our children up for that same failure? Children have the advantage of growing taller to help them lower their BMI. For every inch of height gained, it’s like losing five pounds if a child’s weight is maintained.

So what can you do to keep your family healthy?

 ~ Parents: role model good choices. Eat with your children, offer the same foods that you are eating and prepare more meals at home.

 ~ Cook with your kids research has shown that kids who cook and prepare new foods are more likely to eat them.  

 ~ Provide balanced meals with an emphasis on under-consumed foods such as whole grains, low-fat and nonfat milk, vegetables and fruits.

 ~ Focus on healthier food choices including portion control and variety.

 ~ Combine changes in diet plus increase physical activity to 60 minutes each day and reduce screen time (TV, computer, hand held devices including phones) to less than 2 hours each day.

After my friend and I spoke, she decided to make sure that her daughter had plenty of opportunities for free play and made minor changes to her snack offerings.

Now, there’s an emphasis on low-fat dairy, fruits and vegetables now. Instead of snack chips it’s sliced apples with cheese. Rather than cookies it’s carrots with hummus. Instead of juice, it's milk or water with meals. These simple changes have helped her maintain her weight as she gains height bringing her BMI into a more desirable gain.

You can start with simple lifestyle changes with our Healthy Eating for Kids resources to help you in making healthy, realistic food choices for kids with recipes, activities and articles. If you are concerned with your child’s weight, speak with your pediatrician or dietitian to start making healthy lifestyle changes. 

Subscribe to our Eat, Play, Love: Raising Healthy Eaters blog series to find ways to build lifelong healthy eating habits for your children.

For more tips and information on raising healthy eaters, follow @mealsmatter and the #eatplaylove hashtag on Twitter.