What you should be doing if your child is overweight
These are the Do's:
• Have more home-cooked meals and limit eating out.
• Focus on healthy food choices, limiting foods that are high in calories, such as those that are deep-fried and sweet.
• Offer more frequent but smaller meals throughout the day.
• Limit television watching. At the same time, encourage physical activity by playing active outdoor games with your child.
• Consult a paediatrician and dietitian for intervention and management if the problem persists.
And the Don'ts:
• Start any form of treatment before your child reaches one year of age.
• Starve your child. Remember, your child is still growing and needs adequate nutrients to grow and develop normally.
• Serve separate meals for your overweight child from the rest of your family. Take this opportunity to encourage all your family members to eat more healthily. Eating the same meals as a family also encourages your overweight child to enjoy his food.
• Use unhealthy food as a bribe.