How to Help My Daughter Lose Weight

Childhood obesity is an ever-growing problem in the United States, and overweight children are at a much greater risk for health problems like diabetes, for instance. If your daughter is overweight, it is only natural to be concerned about her health and to want to do as much as you can to support and encourage her to lose weight so she can be as healthy and happy as possible.

Instructions

• 1

  Consult with your daughter's doctor before getting her started on a weight loss regimen. He will be able to help you calculate your daughter's Body Mass Index (BMI) and understand how much weight your daughter should lose, as well as how much time it should take for her to reach her ideal weight. It is also important to follow up with him periodically during her weight loss journey to ensure that she's on the right track.

• 2

  Involve your daughter in shopping for the family's groceries and teach her how to read nutrition labels, so she becomes equipped to make smart food choices on her own. Allow her to help you plan and prepare healthy, well-balanced meals for the family, and replace snacks like potato chips and ice cream with more sensible alternatives such as popcorn, pretzels and low-fat frozen yogurt. It may also be beneficial to have her work with a nutritionist, so she will have the tools she needs to remain healthy throughout her entire life.

• 3

  Encourage your daughter to be physically active. Activities such as bike riding, jumping rope and dancing will burn calories while still keeping her entertained. For any chosen activity to be effective, it should raise her heart rate enough to make her sweat. Have her start with 15 minutes of activity per day and raise the amount to at least 30 minutes per day as her stamina increases.

• 4

  Set attainable goals. A healthy weight loss goal is one to two pounds per week, and you can help her stay on track by rewarding her for making healthy choices such as drinking water instead of sugary soda or juice. Of course, these rewards should not be food, but instead a privilege such as extra time for a favorite activity.

• 5

  Continue to support your daughter even after she's achieved her goal by keeping healthy snacks in the house and continuing to prepare balanced meals. Never stop encouraging her to exercise and eat right to maintain her healthy weight.