how do i get my six year old son to lose weight?

Question

how do i get my six year old son to lose weight without giving him a complex? His entire family on his dad's side is obese. His uncle probably weighs 350 pounds. I don't want him to end up like that. Please Help.

Answer 1

1) See your pediatrician or a nutritionist and get a "meal plan" to follow.

2) Follow the plan.

3) Get him involved in some sort of exercise. I highly recommend soccer. There is continuous aerobic exercise in soccer to develop their hearts and lungs.

If you message me your city and state, I will find a soccer program for you and send the information back.

Answer 2

I think it is great that you are thinking ahead for your child's future considering his genetics but a more important question is WHY you want your son to lose weight. I know you said that his father's side of the family is obese but is your son obese? If he is only six years old you shouldn't be pressuring him to lose weight - instead, you should encourage sports or more activity and focus on exactly what foods he is eating. If you can create healthy habits and a healthy lifestyle early on (now) he will learn to take care of himself. Obesity is rarely something that plagues people without them having some kind of control over it. You can avoid obesity by creating a healthy living envrionment for your son and he will be fine. I do not think that kids should be put on 'diets' especially at six years old. It is the parent's responsibilty to put food on the table so if you aren't driving through McDonalds three times a day then your son will not think that is a normal way of life.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Well, you need to change his diet and have him exercise. If he is seriously over weight then you should try to get him to lose weight. But if it's not that bad, just changing his diet and exercise pattern can make it so as he grows he will not gain weight and will grow into it. I was concerned for my son for a little bit, but he is growing into his weight. He's now 11 and hasn't really gained a pound in a couple of years. Some kids are just like that.

Get him on a sports team, walk him to school instead of taking a bus or driving. Walk to the store if it's just for a couple of items. Put a lot more fruit and veggies in his diet. If he doesn't eat it, then he goes hungry for the night. He will eventually eat the veggies. Cut down, not out, starchy foods like pasta and potatoes. Buy products that are made with stone ground wheat flour rather then white flour. Buy Basmati or Jasmine rice instead of white rice. Do not ever buy another sugar cereal again. Kix and Chex are just as tasty and have a lot less sugar in them. Try to get the kid to eat bran products. Sneak them in without telling him. Chances are if you don't tell him he won't notice. Cut down drasticlly on his electronics time, the more time in front of that X-Box the better. My son gets one hour a day of TV, computer and video games, that's it; unless we are having a movie night (and I don't count music as electronic time). The rest of the time he has to find something else to do and usually the kids will run around outside. Good luck.

Answer 4

Six years old should be a very active age for your son, (i've had 3 go through that age). If he is not very active get him involved with some routine physical activity: swim team, soccer, etc. If that is not possible then encourage outdoor activities biking, skateboarding, etc. Do whatever you can to prevent him from being a couch potato where all he does is see commercials for food or play video games. The goal is to increase his physical activity to help burn calories and foster physical fitness. At the same time you need to control his dietary choices: fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and keep him away from the snack foods as much as possible. Its all about balance and it sounds like you may need to try to institute the same balanced regimen with your husband. To that point, you might want to encourage father/son physical activities to help them both; that could include baseball gloves and a baseball for both, golfing, a canoe, mountain bikes, snow skis, etc. You can find some good values for all that stuff at a used sporting goods store or ebay. You are just going to have to dig in and show them the better options available to them from an activity and dietary standpoint. Good luck!

Answer 5

You'll have the best luck if you lead by example. Serve healthy food at home. Make vegetables the basis of your meals, and limit desserts and snacks as much as possible. Avoid fast food whenever possible.

Find activities that the two of you can do together...Take a walk together in the evenings...play catch, or frisbee...go roller-blading. Make physical activity something that is normal at your house, and something that everyone does, not just him.

Don't forget to remind him how special he is. Sometimes, overeating can be an emotional thing, and if he knows how well loved he is, he has a better chance of being well balanced emotionally.

These will be good lessons for him to have as he moves forward in life, whether he is overweight or not.

Answer 6

You are the parent and have to be in control at all times. He cannot eat whatever he wants and his dad has to be just as supportive in helping you control his diet. Get your son to play outside more and change his diet. If he makes a fuss, so what, he'll get over it and will be able to form good eating habits because of what you reinforce.

No soda, no chips, no cake, no cookies (or treats every once and a while but certainly not everyday), barely any red meat. The kid needs protein and calcium because he's growing (so that means milk and chicken). Lots of fruit and vegetables but find out what he likes, you don't want to force brussle sprouts when he hates them. Just be disciplined with him and he will lose the weight and learn how to maintain it.

Answer 7

Encourage him to be active, eat good food and snacks (you CAN control what you buy and bring into the house, if you don't want junk food, don't buy it!) and maybe interest him in some sports, roller skating on Friday night or hiking/camping as a family? Find something that fits everyone's interests. Maybe Karate, swimming, some sort of dance, maybe something they don't do at school in gym class. Do try asking your doctor for suggestions. Steer clear from buying a bunch of video games, buying more cable, or other low-activity entertainment. Use reading, instead, as a family wind-down before bed.

Answer 8

You need to start cooking healthy meals and having healthy snacks like fruits and veggies laying around the house. When I was growing up all my mom every cooked was meat, potatoes and something sweet for desert and my appetite has really not changed. I still love all those things but have just had to force myself to eat healthier. I think your son will appreciate it when he gets older if you change his eating habits now rather than when he gets older and has to struggle with it on his own. Maybe find an sport he can join to get some exercise.

Answer 9

A six year old is getting his food from mom. What are you feeding him ? High calorie foods ? You need to watch what your providing him to eat. It starts there. Then you can help him get on some kind of exercises routine. Get him to get out with some friends and play ball. More activity in his life will help him burn the fat he already has. If you decrease his calorie intake by 500 calories per day, in one week that will be 3500 calories saved which equals to 1 lb of weight loss.

Answer 10

First, make sure he really has a weight problem before you get too concerned. Don't put pressure on him because he MAY turn out like his uncles or someone else. For a child of his age, you need to focus on keeping him active (outside, rather than in front of TV) and simply providing healthy whole foods for the entire family. Cut out soft drinks and even juice, to eliminate LOTS of unneeded calories and sugar. To keep your son in good shape, make it your priority to keep your whole family healthy, and put in the necessary time to be active with your son, and to plan appropriate meals and snacks that provide nutrients rather than empty calories.