How to incorporate a healthy and active lifestyle in children?

Question

Hi doctor,

My son is 10 years old, and he is not very active at all. I do not know whether it is because of his weight. He is 5.4 feet in height and 116 lbs in weight. Is it normal, or should he reduce his weight? As he is tall, he does not look like he is obese but looks a little chubby. I just want to make sure he is at his normal weight. He does not eat much other than his three meals, but still some days, he eats too many sugary items, mainly sugary beverages. He also does not exercise or play around but sits in one place and watches his phone. How to make him active and reduce his weight to normal?

Please help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

Children are very prone to bad addictions on an everyday basis. So, as parents, we need to supervise the activities of our children. So, these addictions might lead to some health issues, which can be modified by simple lifestyle modification. Every day, 30 minutes of any physical activity like cycling, outdoor activities, sports games, etc, can help maintain body weight. As per your information, the child is on the higher side of weight, but it can be reduced with proper nutrition and regular physical activity. Avoid using electronic devices and restrict it to only 20 to 25 minutes.

Tips:

Involve your child in some fun activities.
Invite friends to your home and get some physical games done at home if the child does not go outdoors.
Involve him in any games or sports.
As parents, we need to give time to children and encourage them for physical activities.
Small meals can be taken, like breakfast, brunch, lunch, evening snacks, and dinner, but with very small portions to cut on the hunger pangs and involve more fruits and vegetables with different recipes.
Avoid junk like fast foods and sweetened cold drinks or beverages.
Maintain a habit of equal attention to eating habits and physical activities.

I hope this information helps you.

Revert in case of queries.

Regards.