DiscoverYour Daughter

It’s heart breaking to watch your daughter struggle with being overweight. You know that overweight children are at a higher risk for health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol in adulthood. You also see the toll that being overweight takes on her self-esteem everyday. Maybe you fear you’ll further damage her self-esteem by putting her on a diet or suggesting she needs to lose weight. But with childhood obesity figures at an all-time high in this country, you know you need to do something. So what can you do to help her stay healthy and ward off the problems that come with childhood obesity? Instead of singling her out and putting her on a restrictive diet, seek out healthy weight loss plans for kids that are supportive and get the whole family involved.

It’s not easy to change your family’s lifestyle, but it doesn’t have to be a drag, either. In fact, many of the things that will be most effective in helping her get on the healthy track are also opportunities for you to spend more time together, strengthen your bond, and even have some fun! Here are eight tips to change her lifestyle and promote healthy weight loss without hurting your daughter’s self-esteem.

8 Healthy Weight Loss Tips for Kids

1. Talk about health, not weight loss. Creating a weight loss plans for kids starts with communication. When you talk with your daughter about making changes in her lifestyle, make sure to keep the focus on her health, not her appearance or the numbers on the scale. Ask your daughter, “Is there anything I can do to help you become healthier?” She may come up with some great ideas that will really work for her! This also keeps the lines of communication open, so she knows she can come to you whenever she has concerns about her health.

2. Phase out junk food. When you go to the grocery store, you have the power to control what foods come home with you. But making a lasting transition from processed junk foods to whole fruits and vegetables can’t happen over night. If you introduce a strict diet and in the process take away all your family’s favorite foods, you’ll be met with mutiny…and almost certain failure. Instead, change your diet gradually by swapping out one or two junk-food items for healthier choices each week. Take your daughter shopping with you and let her help you choose where you’ll make changes. This will empower her to make healthy choices for herself and boost your daughter’s self-esteem in the process.

3. Make dessert a rare treat, not a habit. By offering dessert after lunch or dinner on a regular basis, you could be creating a habit that your daughter will take with her long into adulthood. Besides the fact that eating ice cream and cookies adds calories she doesn’t need—especially if she’s already struggling with childhood obesity—this can also teach her to eat even though she’s full. If she still feels hungry after a meal or is craving something sweet, encourage her to eat fruit as a healthy alternative.

Also, don’t offer food as a reward for a job well done. This can also create a habit that follows her into adulthood, causing her to eat any time she feels she deserves it.

4. Be positive! Instead of harping on the negative—the extra weight your daughter is carrying—point out her positive attributes so she’ll feel good about herself and build healthy self-esteem. Positivity can reinforce the behaviors you like to see in your daughter. When she makes a healthy choice, praise her for it! Also, don’t tolerate negativity from others in your family. Name-calling by siblings and teasing by well-meaning grandparents will kill your daughter’s self-esteem, even if said in jest.

5. Help her get active! Enroll your daughter in fun physical activities such as swimming, martial arts, dance, or track so that she has more opportunities to be active. Give her a few options, and let her decide what she’d like to pursue. This should be an activity that she looks forward to so she’ll be more likely to stick with it. Her self-esteem will also benefit. (Not to mention,she’ll have fun, feel less stressed, enjoy health benefits, and maybe even make a few new friends, too!

6. Exercise as a family. Go for evening walks, join a gym or take up tennis together, or take a dance class as a family. There are many opportunities to have fun and get active together, so something is sure to match your family’s interests. Consider letting each member of the family choose one fun, physical activity and try them all out! Your daughter will probably even enjoy spending more time together as a family. In fact, 82 percent of girls surveyed by Discovery Girls magazine said they wish their families would do more to help them eat healthy and exercise more. Many weight-loss plans for kids fail because families don’t make the change together. Don’t let your daughter down by failing to get on board and make changes with her!

7. Set a good example. According to a recent survey by Discovery Girls magazine, more than 50 percent of girls have parents who are worried about their own weight. If you’re one of them, it’s important to consider the message you’re sending to your daughter. Are you living a healthy lifestyle? Do you make time for regular exercise? Are your eating habits healthy? Do you try to project a positive body image? (For more on this subject, check out the article “Are Your Body Issues Hurting Your Daughter’s Self Esteem?”) One of the most important things you can do for your daughter is to show her, by example, that eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise are a priority for you. After all, if you don’t do these things, why should she believe you when you say it’s so important for her?

8. Show consistent love and support. Kids who are overweight or are struggling with childhood obesity are already more likely to have low self-esteem. The best way to help your daughter develop healthier eating habits is to build a great relationship with her. According to a study published recently in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (courtesy webmd.com), “While both mothers and fathers have tremendous influence on daughters and sons, it seems that good relationships between mothers and daughters are especially important for helping girls grow up with good eating habits.”

As a parent, you are your daughter’s biggest influence, and you can help her turn around her unhealthy eating habits! If there’s tension between you because you’ve been nagging her about her weight, start with a clean slate. Apologize for anything you’ve said that made her feel bad about herself, then give the whole thing a rest for a week or two—no comments on portion sizes or things she shouldn’t eat. When things are calm between you, enlist her help for your new project: Getting everyone in your family living a healthier lifestyle.

Healthy weight loss plans for kids succeed when parents are willing to do whatever it takes. Yes, it’s difficult to make changes that affect the entire family. Changing eating and exercise habits can be challenging, but that’s all the more reason your daughter needs you to guide her through this important transition. You don’t have to make a lot of huge changes all at once, and you don’t have to be perfect. But if you stick with it, eventually you’ll get the whole family on the right track, and your daughter will be healthier, happier, and have higher self-esteem.

Click here to request your free report, “Self-Esteem in Tween Girls: How to Help Your Daughter Have Improved Self-Esteem.”