By Aaron Snyder
There are 2 types of boys
–Those who can eat pizza, cookies, and pop tarts and not gain a pound
–Those who can’t
With the alarming statistic that 1 in 3 children born after 2000 will become type 2 diabetic in their lifetime, we parents don’t have to look any further than our pantry to start fighting the next generation’s obesity epidemic. But if you happen to have a boy who could stand to lose a few pounds, how do you transition them away from the typical fattening American staples for children like chicken nuggets, pizzas, sodas, crackers, and cookies without feeling like a food Nazi who has sucked all the joy out of our child’s heart while putting them on the path to an eating disorder?
As an obese child and diabetic, I can tell you I would have preferred my parents had taken a harder line against the 5 night per week fast food dinners and all you can eat ice cream for dessert. Here’s how to start making permanent change in your child’s weight.
First, be very clear with yourself and your child why he needs to eat differently. Make eating a better an issue of health, not weight loss, and be prepared to explain what you mean. If your boy is a bit chubby like I was, he may very well have already been teased in school and automatically associate eating differently with weight loss. But being honest with your kid that you love them and want them to be healthier can only do good.
Second, be prepared to set the example by eating better yourself. Your child is the most powerful audio and video recorder you will ever encounter. They hear and see more than you think. Sit down and have the baked chicken with vegetables for dinner with them. Show them the healthy breakfast, lunch, and snacks you’re going to eat as well so they can see you’re not only serious but hold yourself to the same standards you expect of them in regards to health.
Third, make it taste exceptional. The taste of sugar and fat or fat and salt like in doughnuts and pizza is hard to pass up but easy to forget if you’re living a diet of healthier substitutes for those 2 very powerful chemical combinations. That’s why your healthy alternatives have got to taste great. In my household, coco made with organic raw coco and sweetened with Stevia is asked for regularly. Low carb, low fat cheese quesadillas with salsa and low fat grilled cheese sandwiches are also 2 favorites from my son.
Finally, stand your ground, but know when to let up. There are more special occasions celebrated in a child’s life with food than there are for adults. Birthday parties, Valentine’s, Easter, and St. Patrick’s’ are but 4 examples of seemingly endless celebration for children. Consider that for Valentine’s Day, a typical elementary school child will probably receive candy from his classmates, cup cakes and other treats at school on the day, and then chocolate from you that evening. And there will be another and yet another “special occasion” every 2 weeks until the New Year. You can’t allow your child to have all those treats and expect them to lose weight. You will need to monitor what goes into your child’s mouth, decide what’s most important for them in terms of social participation, and restrict the rest.
About the Author: Aaron Snyder is a diabetes patient-expert, nutritional coach for adults and families, personal trainer, and author of The New Diabetes Prescription: The Diet, Exercise, & Mindset Revolution. He lives in San Diego with his family. For more information, please visit http://www.TheNewDiabetesPrescription.com or e-mail him at Aaron@TheNewDiabetesPrescription.com
