How to Lose Weight for Kids for Free

Obesity in children is becoming increasingly prevalent in recent years. Overweight and obese children are at risk of continuing their unhealthy lifestyle into adulthood. Creating healthy habits early in life will help children maintain a healthy weight and decrease their risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and breathing problems as adults. Kids can lose weight for free by focusing on two factors: changing eating habits and increasing exercise.

Instructions

Establish Healthy Eating Habits

1

Teach kids about the foods that they eat and how they affect the performance of the body. Kids succeed when they are knowledgeable and passionate about their purpose. Go back to basics and focus on the food groups and the importance of daily nutrition.

2

Eliminate unhealthy, packaged foods full of saturated fats and salt and provide healthy meals and snacks.

3

Encourage family members to eat healthy. Family members can lead by example and are role models who can improve a child's eating habits.

4

Serve smaller portions, several times per day. Kids should start their day with a healthy breakfast. A healthy snack should follow a couple of hours later. Lunch should include healthy options and a light after-school snack should follow. Dinner portions should also be smaller and should include protein and at least one vegetable.

5

Set goals and record results. Never reward good behavior with food. Reward kids with special activities.

Keep Kids Active

6

Register for sports programs. Most cities and towns offer recreational sports and activities that provide fun experiences that keep kids active.

7

Assign chores. Kids should walk the dog, take out the trash, mow the lawn and shovel snow in the winter. These manual chores keep kids busy, encourage responsibility and will burn calories.

8

Play together. Kids are more likely to go out to play if they have someone to play with. Play catch, Frisbee, soccer or ride bikes. With so many options for active play, kids won't even realize that they are exercising. Kids can burn up to 100 calories per day with 30 to 60 minutes of exercise.