Helping Our Kids Maintain a Healthy Weight, Part 2

My previous blog kicked off a three part series discussing behaviors likely to cause children to consume too many calories and become overweight.*   Approximately one third of children are overweight or at-risk for overweight, leading many parents to wonder what they can do to help their children maintain a healthy weight.  Last month, I focused on reducing the frequency of eating out and gave some practical hints to make that happen in your busy family.  (Click here to read my June blog.)

This month, we’ll take a look at another behavior and offer tips to help parents.

Behavior #2: Reduce Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption

What is a sugar-sweetened beverage?
The term “sugar-sweetened beverage” refers to beverages with added sugars and includes soda/pop, sports drinks, energy drinks, lemonade and other fruit drinks.

What’s the big deal about these beverages?
Research has found that the risk of being overweight in school age children increased by 60% per serving of sugar-sweetened beverage.  The research also found that overweight children/adolescents drank more soft drinks than non-overweight children/adolescents.  Drinks account for approximately 40% of all added sugar in our diet.

What can parents do?
Encourage family members to consume water and milk by creating a supportive environment.  This will be easier if you have very young children and are just starting to offer beverages other than breast milk or formula.  They are not accustomed to having sugar-sweetened beverages so you can establish water and milk as the beverage choices for your family.  However, if your kids are used to having soda/pop, juice drinks or sports drinks every day, the change is likely to be more challenging.  Here are some tips to help those families:

Change one drink at a time.
Suddenly switching from sugar-sweetened beverages to only water and milk overnight is bound to produce some unhappy family members.  Start small, perhaps offering a glass of milk with lunch instead of soda/pop.  Once your family has adjusted to this change (it may take a week or two), make another change.  Continuing to make small changes will make a big difference over time.

Make drinking water and milk fun for kids.
Many kids enjoy drinking “juice” boxes, many of which contain a small amount of juice and a lot of sugar.  Make drinking water just as fun.  Give your child a straw to drink their water or milk.  Let your child pick out his or her own reusable water bottle.  Some kids who won’t drink a glass of water will happily drink bottled water.  With milk, many schools have found that students are drinking more milk since the school has switched from cartons to plastic bottles of milk.  It’s amazing how the container can make a big difference.

Consider other flavored drinks with little added sugar.
One of my favorite drinks is ice water with slices of lemons, limes, or oranges.  It provides just the right amount of flavor.  (For food safety reasons, be sure to rinse lemons, limes, and oranges in cold running water before slicing and adding to your water.)  If your children are used to drinking a lot of juice, gradually dilute their juice with water.  You can also freeze juice in an ice cube tray and use these “juice cubes” in a glass of water.  Young kids will enjoy watching the cubes melt and color the water.  Just use a couple at a time.

Be a role model for your kids.
It’s going to be a long battle to get your kids to drink milk or water if they are watching you drink soda.  The best way for you to help your kids develop healthy habits is to role model those healthy habits yourself.  It will benefit both you and your kids.

* Source: 2007 Expert Committee Recommendations on Childhood & Adolescent Overweight & Obesity

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