By Dr. Joey Shulman, D.C., RNCP

It is hard enough being a kid today without the added social pressure of being overweight. According to a recent study, obese children and adolescents reported having more than five times poorer quality of life (QOL), when compared to children of normal body weight. In fact, their risk for a lower quality of life was comparable to children undergoing chemotherapy.

Overweight and obese children are at greater risk for developing physical diseases such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cancer, however, research is now finding that obese children are also at greater risk for developing psychological disorders from social pressures. Specific steps must be taken to break the downward spiral occurring in our overweight and obese children. Start by taking the Truestar Three Steps to health to help your child lose and/or maintain a healthy body weight.

Step 1: Feed me right!
It is not wise to put a child on a diet. Children do not respond well to overly restrictive behavior, especially when it comes to the food they eat. For best results, switch your children to healthy eating, rather than overly restricting their caloric intake. For more information, please visit The Right Diet for Overweight Kids.

With so many confusing nutritional messages these days, parents often become frustrated and overwhelmed, not knowing which foods to choose. When feeding your child, it is essential that most of their diet consist of healthy and delicious choices such as:

• Healthy carbohydrates: whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans and legumes
• Lean proteins: chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, dairy products and soy
• Essential fats: nuts, seeds, olive oil, flax oil, cold-water fish, omega-3 eggs

The challenge is, “how do I make these foods “kid friendly”?” Consider some of the following meals that will tempt the palate of any child:

• Healthy mac & cheese please!
• Smiley tuna melts
• Chocolate peanut butter shakes
• Veggie burgers and fries
• Meatless pepperoni pizza
• Yogurt Popsicle delights

For a variety of personalized meal plans for kids to suit the lifestyle of any busy mom or dad, please visit Truestar Kids and fill out a personal nutritional profile for your child.

Step 2: You gotta move!
North American children spend an average of three to five hours per day sedentary, in front of the TV or computer. In conjunction with a healthy diet, there is no way around it—we have to get our children moving again! Whether it is ballet, swimming, hockey or soccer, as the Nike ad states, “Just do it!”

It is recommended that children participate in some form of exercise for a minimum of one hour per day. Other helpful tips are: 

• Do not let your children mindlessly munch the wrong foods in front of the television or computer. This is a one-way ticket to weight gain.
• Remove televisions and computers from their bedrooms.
• Join your local YMCA and make exercise a family affair.

Visit Exercise for Kids to learn more.

Step 3: Do not discipline your children with food

Often, we use foods, such as candy, cookies or soda pop to avoid a tantrum in the middle of the grocery aisle or to soothe a child’s hurt feelings. Don’t feel badly, we have all leaned on sugary treats to avoid uncomfortable situations. However, when food is used for discipline or for emotional reasons, it sets up an unhealthy relationship for a child that is often difficult to break. For example, if little Billy is given a gumball to be on his best behavior at grandma’s house, then good behavior becomes dependant upon a sugary treat. Or, if a child is teased at school and is given a piece of cake to feel better, the cake represents the emotion, “Mommy loves me and can make it all better”. What happens next time when the child is teased and mommy is not there? A sweet sugary treat like cake will help to soothe the child and represents “Mommy loves me”.

Of course, children are going to eat sugary foods on occasion. This concept falls under the Truestar 80/20 Rule of Eating. In other words, children are going to fall off the health wagon at birthday parties, sleepovers and at their friend’s house, which is okay and expected. However, when food is introduced into discipline or used for emotional purposes, it sets up an unconscious emotional response with food that can lead to poor food choices, binge and emotional eating. Instead of using food, there are several other helpful techniques to reward good behavior such as:

• A special day with mom or dad, such as a trip to the zoo, museum or to see their favorite movie;
• Using stickers or colouring books as rewards;
• Making up “You are my special helper” or “I am proud of you” certificates;
• A special book at bedtime;
• For older teenagers, rewards can involve the car, allowance or extra time with friends.

Truestar Challenges you to Take Part Now!
As mentioned in Part I of this special report, it is Truestar’s goal to pull back the reigns on children’s health by creating permanent health changes. This is why we challenge all members and readers to start paving the path to health by committing to one positive health step. It is a well-known fact that writing down your health goals will increase the likelihood of actually achieving them. Email us at cs@truestarhealth.com and we will support you in your efforts by sending you up-to-date information, health tips and food games for children. We also welcome you to submit any questions, success stories or recipes you would like to share.

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