The 10 Tips to Help Overweight Kids

1) Obesity is a problem not only in the old age, but among kids too. It affects the kid mentally and also predisposes the child to many other diseases. The following tips help to reduce weight of obese children.

2) Get kids moving. To lose weight, kids must burn more calories than they take in. No one physical activity is better than another for calorie expenditure. So let kids find the type of activity they enjoy.

3) Start babies off slim and fit by restricting their diet during the first year to breast milk. There is really no solid scientific evidence that babies need anything other than formula or breast milk during the first five months. When carbohydrates (cereal) are introduced too early, they are not digested efficiently because the protein in milk and carbohydrates are digested in completely different ways leading to maldigestion. Excessive maldigested foods lead to excess weight.

4) Feed kids alternatives to commercially produced cow's milk. At five times the protein content of breast milk, cow's milk and the bovine growth hormone it contains make kids bigger and fatter. Instead use soya-milk fortified with calcium or Rice

5) Dream, a milk created from rice.

6) Get high-risk foods out of the house. Don't buy snack foods high in calories; they're fattening for the entire family.

7) Establish family meal schedules. Get kids accustomed to eating at specified times with small snacks in between, rather than all day long.

8) Buy organic health foods. The additives in our foods are chemicals, not nutrients, and are therefore neither utilized nor eliminated by the body. The preservatives, steroids and growth hormones in our foods, particularly in meat, chicken, milk and other dairy products, become stored in our bodies, adding to our weight.

9) Encourage your child to take part in extra curricular activities, not necessarily sports only, but music or arts or anything the child is interested in. This will change the focus of the child on it being obese and provide mental relaxation.

10) Teach children conscious food combining. Fruit should be eaten alone on an empty stomach for quick absorption. If introduced into the digestive system when other foods are present, it will just sit there. Mixing carbohydrates and proteins should be minimized. Once animal protein is eaten, it should be followed primarily by protein.
Never nag children about eating and being fat. Criticism only raises stress and anxiety levels, making the problem worse.
Don't over control what your child eats. Don't make the entire family focus on controlling the overweight child's food intake. Instead, put the emphasis on being healthy and involve the children in attaining that goal.

WEIGHT-LOSS FOOD TIPS

* Here are a few tips from the experts that should help you make good decisions about what, when, and how to eat:

* Give yourself three small meals each day plus two to three low-calorie snacks, such as plain popcorn or rice cakes. Plan ahead. Write down what you'll eat each day. Eat only those foods you've listed.

* If there's a food you can't resist, such as ice cream, don't keep it in the house. But there's nothing wrong with treating yourself once in a while to a few bites of those old favorites-for instance, one or two spoonfuls of ice cream or a couple of cookies. If you take a long pause after each bite, you may be surprised how little it takes to satisfy you. Just make it a special treat, and don't feel guilty about it.

* Eat before you go grocery shopping. That way you won't be tempted to buy foods high in fat and calories.

* Choose low-calorie foods that will fill you up-an apple instead of apple juice, bread instead of cookies.

* Eat at least some protein every day; this will keep you going longer than starches.

* Fuel up in the morning with a healthy breakfast of fruit, whole grains-in cereal, bread, or both-and some protein, perhaps in nonfat milk on your cereal. This will give you energy and stave off the urge to snack later on.

* Keep vegetables handy for "legal" snacks. Try dipping them in salsa or broiling them in soy sauce.

* Make your diet fun. Try a new recipe every week.

* Drink plenty of water. It helps fill you up and curbs your appetite.

* When dining out, ask if the cook can prepare your dish with very little oil or butter, and put sauces and dressings on the side. Use just enough to flavor dishes.

* Weigh yourself once a week to keep track of your weight loss. Do it at the same time on the same day each week. Everyone's weight tends to vary throughout the day.

If You're a Teenager and Overweight
What do you do when you're in your teens and overweight?

You worry about your body shape.
You worry if you look fat in your jeans.
You hatch plans to lose weight fast.
You secretly diet. Or binge. (Or both.)
You hunt for the secret of easy weight loss.
Above all, you WORRY about losing weight.

No More Weight loss Worries!
Okay, you wanna lose weight? Then listen up.

Worrying about your weight is a COMPLETE waste of your time.

If you REALLY want to lose weight and get slim,
the FIRST thing to do is, stop worrying.

Why? Because STRESS keeps us fat.
And makes it MUCH more difficult to lose weight.

So I'll say it one more time in case you missed it.
STOP WORRYING.

Do you need to exercise in order to lose weight?

This is like asking - Do I need regular sleep in order to lose weight?

Point is, although neither exercise nor sleep has a significant direct effect on weight loss, they both have a tremendous effect on our mood and general body health. So, without enough of both, weight loss becomes much less easy.

In other words, the answer is, Yes.

For best weight loss results, you should take moderate, regular exercise.
But don't expect it to have an instant effect.

Here's Why.

Regular physical activity is an important part of effective weight loss and weight maintenance. It also can help prevent several diseases and improve your overall health. It does not matter what type of physical activity you perform - sports, planned exercise, household chores, yard work, or work-related tasks - all are beneficial. Studies show that even the most inactive people can gain significant health benefits if they accumulate 30 minutes or more of physical activity per day.

How exercise helps to control weight

1. It burns calories
Physical activity uses up excess calories that otherwise would be stored as fat.

2. It slightly raises your metabolic rate
The higher our metabolic rate, the easier is it to lose weight. In this way, exercise helps to overcome the 'plateau' effect.

3. It gradually reduces your fat ratio and increases your muscle ratio
Muscle cells are 8 times more metabolically active than fat cells. So the more muscle you have, the less fat you have and the easier it is to lose weight.

4. It's great for motivation
Getting active is a great way to increase your motivation to change your weight
and your life!