When possible weight loss for a child is best approached through complete family participation. Although most 9-year-olds should be gaining weight not losing weight, some 9-year-olds are truly overweight. If your child is overweight, losing weight will benefit their health. Consult with a physician or medical adviser first before significantly changing eating or exercise habits. Here are suggestions to enable your 9-year-old to lose weight.
Being active:
- plan a workout or exercise schedule
- sports and cardio exercise are Excellent fat burning activities
- cardio exercise can be such things as brisk walking, jogging, running, trampolining, etc
- cardio walking is Excellent for weight loss and unlike running or jogging it is sustainable long term.
- do cardio exercise several times per week
- get involved in sports as much as possible
- exercise rather than using the TV or computer too much
- if a child is significantly overweight, walking is the best exercise to start with
- for safety, a child should never walk alone and should always exercise with a responsible adult.
Eating:
- eliminate junk food (apart from the rare treat)
- replace snack foods with a fresh fruit or vegetable snack
- do not severely restrict calorie intake it can slow down metabolism and make it harder to lose weight; this is why it is better to count carbohydrates rather than severely restrict calories.
- unless vegetarian, include more fish in the diet
- fish should be plainly cooked (not fried and not coated in batter or breadcrumbs)
- unless vegetarian, include plenty of plainly grilled/broiled/baked/roasted protein such as chicken, beef, lamb
- include plenty of fresh vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, etc
- use beneficial fats and oils (some fat is essential for health and to sustain life)
- strictly limit, apart from the occasional treat, refined (processed) carbohydrates
- refined processed carbohydrates are a major cause of weight gain, obesity, and many diet related diseases, in children and adults
- if you are unsure what a refined (processed) carbohydrate is, see the page link, further down this page, listed under Related Questions
- Use the list of refined processed carbohydrates as a daily guide
- get carbohydrates from natural sources such as fresh leafy vegetables and fruits.
For more information about diet and exercise plans, see the page links, further down this page, listed under Related Questions. Check with a physician or medical adviser first before significantly changing eating or exercise habits.
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