Guest
Expert Connie Steinberg, MS, answers:
First, just to ease your mind, I would suggest checking with
your family doctor and maybe an endocrinologist to make sure
there is no medical problem behind this weight increase and
change in eating behavior.
Growth
works in odd ways. We don't know that much about it but we
do know that it tends to come in spurts. From my own observation,
kids sometimes resemble little bears, storing up weight till
the growth is ready to catch up. But this usually happens
more in the adolescent years.
The
goal with children is to teach good food habits by example.
The goal in weight management with children is not necessarily
to make them lose weight but to maintain their weight where
it is now and wait for the height to catch up during a growth
spurt.
Many
people are not aware that food behavior is learned and is
not instinctive. It's often an expression of personality and
choice. Parents should not get upset when a child doesn't
want a particular food. Within the framework of good nutrition,
everyone should be allowed to choose what they want.
If your son drinks low fat milk, eats eggs, cheese and peanut
butter, he's probably getting enough protein. The recommendation
is 42 grams of protein a day which could consist of one or
two eggs, two tablespoons of peanut butter, two glasses of
milk, and one or two slices of cheese. Remember that breads
and other starches contribute proteins as well.
INVOLVE
YOUR CHILD
We never want to force a child to eat but it's okay to say
to him, "Listen, I'm afraid you're not going to grow properly
if you don't eat a well-balanced diet. I see you like pizza,
bread and pasta and we can have that but you really need to
eat fruits and vegetables too." Sit down with him and see
what kinds of fruits and vegetables he likes and how he likes
them prepared. He should be eating four servings of vegetables
and three servings of fruit daily. That's not as hard as it
sounds. Remember, a glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice is
two or three servings of fruit right there.
Together with him, make a plan. Don't be too rigid about the
amounts he needs to eat. But do limit the starches. When you're
serving pizza, spaghetti and other high starch food he likes,
two servings a meal is probably enough. Tell him if he's still
hungry, he can have a vegetable or fruit.
Involving
a child in food preparation sometimes helps. He's old enough
to peel a cucumber or carrot, or slice fruit and arrange it
nicely on a plate. If you have a garden, have him plant some
vegetables. Take him shopping and ask what fruits and vegetables
we should try. Try taking him to a farmer's market -- that's
a wonderful experience at any age.
Encourage
your son to do more sports and physical activity such as riding
a bike with an older sibling or his parents and/or take him out
to the basketball court and throw a ball around for half an hour.
Pick things that he and you both enjoy. This should be fun, not
work.
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