Recent increases in obesity in children seem to be linked to various factors, including the fact that people are much less active nowadays. Fatty and sugary foods are much more accessible and the average portion sizes in restaurants have become larger
Don’t force children to eat more when they say they are full — otherwise they could lose their ability to naturally regulate what they eat. Before serving up a second portion, wait a few minutes. It takes some time for the messages that tell us we have had enough to eat to reach the brain. Using food as a reward is never a good idea because your child will learn to value certain ‘treat’ foods and may turn to this kind of food for comfort. Use non-food rewards instead — they don’t need to be large material rewards. One of the best motivators is praise!
If your child is overweight, don’t keep discussing it. Your child will already feel sufficiently upset about their weight and telling them off will only make them feel worse. It may add to the problem if they then turn to food for comfort. Don’t single out one child as the one with problems — the whole family can make healthy changes to their lifestyle. Forbidding certain food can only make them more attractive so teach your child about the health value of foods that are rich in vitamins and nutrients. Make your home a healthy food zone by filling up the fruit bowl instead of buying biscuits and crisps. Since your children is likely to model themselves on your behavior, choose your own healthy food options whenever possible.
It is difficult to persuade an overweight child to exercise but you can start by getting them to play ball with you, or put on an exercise tape for you both to do together. Never make exercise seem like punishment — it is not their fault!
Recipe of the Week
Mexican Chicken Tortillas
Serves 6
Ingredients
6 large flour tortillas
1 tsp. olive oil
600 g boneless skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1.3 cm cubes
340 g onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
500 g crushed tomatoes
130 g green chillies, drained and chopped
3 g parsley, minced
3/4 tsp. salt optional
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
3/4 tsp. chopped oregano
360 ml water
11/2 tbsp lime juice
45 g pine nuts
180 ml salsa
Method
Preheat oven to 90°C. Wrap tortillas in alminum foil and warm in oven 10-15 minutes. Heat oil in a heavy non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Sauté chicken 8-10 minutes or until browned. Add onion and garlic and sauté 2-3 minutes. Stir in next 7 ingredients. Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low. Simmer 20 minutes or until chicken is tender. Stir in lime juice. Transfer to a platter. Sprinkle with pine nuts and keep warm. Serve chicken wrapped in warm tortillas with salsa.
Ask Alva
SlimLines is my favorite column. I am 40 years old; my weight is 76 kg and my height is 167 cm. I have a protruding tummy and I want to know if walking for 45 minutes every day will help me to lose weight? My daughter is 9 years her weight is 51 kg I am worried about her. Can you plan what diet I should give her? Mrs. Adil
Your BMI measurement is 27, which indicates that you are overweight and ideally you should reduce to 66 kilos or less. Walking is an excellent form of exercise for weight loss when combined with a sensible and balanced diet. If you are walking for 45 minutes each day, make sure that you walk at a brisk pace for at least 30 minutes to get the best benefit. I could also suggest that you consider a supplement like Actrim that may help to speed up the removal of excess fat in your body. As for your daughter, I am afraid that I do not do individual diet plans. However, if you or any reader would like to receive a free copy of my Healthy Eating Guide, you may email to [email protected]
For all your weight concerns and questions e-mail Alva Carpenter at:
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