• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Family MattersPractical Parenting Blog

  • Home
  • Series
  • About Ronit Baras
  • Books by Ronit Baras
    • Motivating Kids
    • Be Special, Be Yourself for Teenagers
    • Reflections
    • In the Outback with Jasmine Banks
    • The Will
    • * Your Cart
    • * Secure Checkout
  • Contact
    • Join Us
Home » Family Matters » Kids / Children » How To Help Your Fat Kid Stop Being Overweight

How To Help Your Fat Kid Stop Being Overweight

Overweight child eating cupcake with blue icing

If you have a “fat” or overweight child, you know they suffer a lot from some associated problems. Many grownups carry feelings of self-loathing and self-disappointment following the negative treatment they got during their younger years.

Being fat is not only about what we eat. It’s also about what makes us eat more than what our body requires. A fat kid almost always suffers from low self-image too.

Overweight kids need a healthy, balanced eating plan, together with an emotional plan, which doesn’t damage their self-image any further.

It is always good to help kids handle their overweight at an early stage. Like I have said before, the earlier, the better. It is much easier to manage 2 extra kilos than 5 or, God forbid, 20.

However, first-time parents may be unsure about the healthy range for their child to be in. This is especially true when the child is very young and looks a bit chubby.

A short visit to the doctor can help you decide if your kid needs help or not and how to help them. Once you know where you stand, you will act with confidence.

Chubby baby girl

When Eden was born, she was HUGE (as in “off the charts”). She had a healthy appetite and grew very quickly, and some people commented on her appearance. Being a new mother, I wanted to be sure, so I took her to the doctor, who told me that Eden was OK, because her height was as far off the charts as her weight…

After that, it didn’t bother me when people told me that she was fat. I’m happy it didn’t, because my life as a new mother would have been totally different if I did.

A family can really help kids in their hard task of losing weight. Changing family habits can make it much easier for the struggling child, not to mention that everyone in the family can benefit from it too. It is always better to develop habits that become part of life rather than eating 3-4 months of yucky food.

Instead of making it look like the kid is on a diet because he is fat, it is better to say, “We all need to take care of ourselves and we are all going to eat healthier from now on”. If you present it like this, it is much easier for your child, but requires all other family members to participate.

Remember, it is hard for your kid to eat what you do not have at home. So if you find yourself saying, “He/she eats sweets all the time”, pay attention to what you buy. If you did not have candies at home, your child would not be able to eat them, right?!

Help your overweight child by eliminating temptations

Shopping cart in front of supermarket shelves

Do not put an obstacle in front of a blind man

Jewish Proverb

I have a very good friend whose teen son is very very very heavy and eats chocolates all the time. She asked me for tips to help him lose weight. I asked her some question to find out where she could make a change.

  • Big lollipopWhere does he get his chocolates from?
  • Does he have his own money?
  • Do they sell chocolates in the school Canteen (I know they do not, because it is now illegal in Australia to serve sweets in the school Canteen)?

From her answers, I discovered that the mother, who was a skinny woman herself, ate chocolates “in bulk”. On her shopping list, she had chocolate as a permanent item and she was buying about 3-4kg (9lbs) of chocolate a week!

Get these temptations out of the house. Get rid of the ice creams, the cakes, the snacks, the candies and bring home lots of fruits and vegetables. If you go to the shop and 2/3 of your trolley is in packets and boxes, you are being cruel to your overweight kid.

Make physical activity family fun

Help you kid find a physical activity they can do and enjoy. I would not recommend activities that only highlight their overweight difficulties. If it is hard, find a physical activity you can do together as a family.

Remember, 3-4 months of doing it together with mom and dad could save your kid lots of heartache that otherwise would take years, if not a whole life of struggle.

Help your fat kid by being positive

Girl playing the piano

It is important with an overweight child to emphasise their positive traits and minimize discussion on their physical appearance. The more you focus on their physical look, the more you will damage their self esteem (see self esteem mini-course here, here, here and here).

Find areas in which they are good or could be good and put the focus there: music, chess, art and so on. Avoid areas requiring flexibility, physical strength or speed. The more you focus on the good stuff, the more the kids’ self-esteem will increase and their weight will shrink.

It is important to tell kids that weight is external and is like clothes. We can change it if we want to. Our weight does not determine who we are.

3 apples

Tell your kid about successful people who are overweight to help them separate the two. Encourage them to look for a healthy, vital, energetic feeling rather than a number (actually, muscle weighs more than fat).

Kids do not need to lose weight so Mom or Dad will be happy or for the kids in their class to love them. Talk to your kids about skinny kids who are not popular to show them these things are not linked.

It is important for kids to maintain a healthy weight in order to feel good, to play the games they want, to participate in all the activities they like and to enjoy their food.

Stop of saying something whenever they eat unhealthy food. Instead, say something good whenever they eat something that is good for them.

Don’t say to them they are lazy and sit in front of the TV all day. Instead, say something positive every time they are physically active.

To help kids with their self-esteem, focus on the things you want instead of the things you do not want for your kids.

As with everything else, change in this area may take time, and at first, you may struggle to find positive things to say. However, YOUR mind must change first, and you will find it easier and easier with practice.

As you learn to see the good in your overweight child, the most wonderful thing will happen – a healthy child will emerge, strong and confident, who thinks “Mom and Dad love me, which means I am good and I can love myself too”.

What more could you ask for?

Happy parenting,
Ronit

Share This Page

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)

Related

 

April 3, 2008 by Ronit Baras In: Health / Wellbeing, Kids / Children, Parenting Tags: body image, diet, fat, focus, food, kids / children, overweight, positive attitude tips, practical parenting / parents, self confidence / self esteem / self worth

Reader Interactions

Share Your Thoughts Cancel reply

* Your comment may take up to a day to appear.

Comments

  1. Ronit Baras says

    April 7, 2008 at 9:43 PM

    I think chocolate is great. I agree. Dark chocolate has great advantages. I have a nice presentation about “chocolate is vegetable” – The grass the cow is eating is vegetable, the sugar comes out of a plant, the coco comes from a plant and there you have it a product that is purely made of vegetables. Ha, Ha, Ha, I love it.

    As much as I do think Chocolate has great advantages, I guess the advantages are in the dark chocolate, (the bitter, the one most kids do not crave) and not in the regular chocolate that has some coco in the sugar.

    Be careful with everything.
    Moderation is a king

    Thank you for visiting my site.
    Happy day
    Ronit
    https://www.behappyinlife.com

    Reply
  2. David Goldbeck says

    April 4, 2008 at 4:49 PM

    Dear Ronit,
    There is no doubt that a critical underpinning of a healthy diet is significant consumption of vegetables and fruit. Unfortunately, many adults do not like these fine foods – so we must make sure kids don’t develop these attitudes. Parents and teachers interested in getting kids to develop friendly feelings towards fruits and vegetables should take a look at a new book called “The ABC’s of Fruits and Vegetables and Beyond.” Out only a few months and already being bought in quantity for class use. Suited for kids of all ages as it is two books in one – children first learn their alphabet through produce poems and then go on to more mature activities. It is coauthored by best-selling food writer David Goldbeck (me) and Jim Henson writer Steve Charney. You can learn more at HealthyHighways.com

    Reply

Get Happiness by Email

Sign up to receive posts by email and get my free mini-course Seven Emails with Seven Secrets for Seven Weeks to boost your personal development

0% Complete

Join Us on Social Media

  • Click to visit our Facebook page (Opens in new window)
  • Click to visit my Twitter profile (Opens in new window)
  • Click to visit my LinkedIn profile (Opens in new window)
  • Click to see my Pinterest profile (Opens in new window)
  • Click to visit the RSS feed (Opens in new window)

Books by Ronit Baras

  • What motivates your child? Read Motivating Kids by Ronit Baras Motivating Kids From: $9.95
  • Reflections by Ronit Baras Reflections From: $5.99
  • In the Outback with Jasmine Banks by Ronit Baras In the Outback with Jasmine Banks From: $5.99
  • Be Special Be Yourself for Teenagers by Ronit Baras Be Special, Be Yourself for Teenagers From: $5.99
  • The Will by Ronit Baras The Will From: $5.99

Be Happy in LIFE logo
Book your private life coaching with Ronit Baras and learn how to be happy in life

Girl speaking at student leadership programLeaders are not born. They are made. Bring this Student Leadership Program to your primary school or high school and you will create a community of empowered, inspired student leaders, parents and teachers.

Need Better Movie Options?

SmartFeed better movie options

You’re Reading a Top 50 Parenting Blog

Top 50 Family Blog Award Top 50 Amazing Parenting Blogs 2017

Related Links

  • Be Happy in LIFE – Life Coaching
  • Noff Baras – Screen Actor & Model
  • Personal Growth Web
  • The Motivational Speaker
  • Tsoof Baras – percussionist, composer and producer

Primary Sidebar

Your Cart

Speaker Bookings

Ronit Baras
Book Ronit as a Speaker for Your event »

Ready to be happy?

Happy woman holding a cup in the snow
Be empowered and set your spirit free!

Engage Ronit as Your Life Coach »

Give to Receive

Kiva - loans that change lives

Contact Us · Subscribe · Terms of Use / Privacy Statement · Affiliate Program · Sitemap

Copyright © 2021 Be Happy in LIFE · Built and powered by Get Business Online

Secure HTTPS

  • Home
  • Series
  • About Ronit Baras
  • Books by Ronit Baras
    • Motivating Kids
    • Be Special, Be Yourself for Teenagers
    • Reflections
    • In the Outback with Jasmine Banks
    • The Will
    • * Your Cart
    • * Secure Checkout
  • Contact
    • Join Us

How to Motivate Kids

Motivating Kids by Ronit Baras
Get this essential guide to motivating kids (and teens) and master the art of motivation.

BUY IT NOW

×
Happiness

Get Happiness by Email

Sign up to receive posts by email and get my free mini-course Seven Emails with Seven Secrets for Seven Weeks to boost your personal development

0% Complete
×

Share This Page

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)