Children and Weight

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Weight is one of the many personal characteristics that distinguish children from each other. Recognizing that children grow at different rates and have different body structures from their friends and family may help ease concerns parents and children have about weight.

Parents can help children learn good eating habits now by taking the following actions:

1. Be a good role model. Eat a variety of foods and make eating fun. When possible have children help in the planning and preparation of food.
2. Introduce new foods gradually. Offer small portions in the beginning and do not force a child to eat. The earlier you introduce a new food in a child's life, the better.
3. Children need consistency, so provide regular snacks and meals. Make mealtime a pleasant time as well.
4. Serve child-size portions. Too much food will overwhelm a child. A good guideline to follow is to offer 1 tablespoon of food per year of age up to age 5.
5. Encourage children to eat more nutrient dense foods, such as a bagel instead of a donut or a cheese sandwich instead of a hotdog.
6. Help our child recognize when they are hungry and full. This means not forcing a toddler to eat one more bite and sometimes allowing a second or third helping on meal items.
7. Avoid making nagging comments about a child's weight.
8. Encourage family involvement in regular exercise. Again be a good role model. Children are likely to do what parents do, whether that's eating chips and watching TV or bicycling.

If you are concerned about your child's weight, ask your health care provider for advice. Standardized growth charts plot height and weight of boys and girls at different ages and can be used in determining a child's recommended weight range.

If it has been determined that your child is gaining too much weight, decide carefully how to handle the situation. Restricting food from your child, especially when other family members are eating, can be harmful to the child's self-esteem and can lead to overeating. The best thing to do for an overweight child is to encourage regular exercise and to help the child eat well-balanced meals and snacks. Make sure also, your child knows that you will always love and support them regardless of their body.

Adapted from Is My Child Gaining Too Much Weight, InfoSource, University of Wisconsin Cooperative Extension and A Parent's Guide to Children's Weight, North Central Regional Extension Publication 374

Lori Wuellner, LWuellne@oznet.ksu.edu
County Extension Agent, Family and Consumer Services
Wyandotte County, Kansas
Kansas State University Research and Extension