Tips For Dealing With Overweight Kids ? Limiting TV Time

Teenage obesity is a growing problem which affects a large proportion of the youth population, however the fundamentals of maintaining a healthy weight have not changed (diet and exercise). The reason children are getting overweight is because of their lifestyles. There are a large number of sedentary activities for them to do which means they don’t even need to get up and do anything. In previous generations we didn’t have as many screens to watch – these days we have TV, video games and also computers. The more time children spend doing these “inactivities,” the less time they have for activities that burn calories and help them maintain a good physical condition. As a result, more and more children are overweight every year.

It’s not possible to take all of these modern conveniences and forms of entertainment away from our kids. You can’t hope to prevent kids from wanting to play video games. There is however something that you can do, you can set limitations to make sure that they are getting enough exercise. Here are a few things you can try to encourage your child to get some exercise while still allowing them to have their screen-time fun.

1. Screen Rewards

Set up a simple system which allows them 30 minutes of time in front of a screen of their choice for every 15 minutes of exercise they do. They will actually quite enjoy this because they think that they get more time in front of a screen than they have to exercise. They just need to do 30 minutes of some form of exercise to get a whole hour of sitting in front of a screen. You will manage to get an extra 30 minutes of physical activity into your regime.

2. Get a Wii

The Wii is the only games console which makes playing computer games a form of exercise. This means that you don’t have to sit down on your butt and play games. You can set up your very own Mii (a “version” of yourself on the video game) and then use Wii Fit to do various exercises. The system works by measuring your BMI and checking your balance. Your child will really enjoy playing this game because it allows them to track the progress of your exercise program. You’ll like it because it is exercise, but in the form of a video game that children enjoy.

3. Various Activities

You also need to make your children realize that watching TV and playing computer games aren’t the only options available to entertain kids. There are actually plenty of other activities many of which are healthy and can help them to lose weight. Fitness weight loss camps are a great way to have fun and learn some brilliant exercise regimes. Try to get the whole family out on day trips at the weekend. You could take them over to the park, or you might even want to get yourself a dog so that people get exercise from walking it. You might even like to set up an obstacle course in the garden to get your blood pumping. The key is to show kids that exercise isn’t a bad word – in fact things that are “exercise” can be, first and foremost, fun. Kids need to stop thinking of exercise as a chore and learn some activities that they enjoy simply for what they are. The sooner they stop thinking of it as exercising and start thinking of it as having fun, the quicker they’ll be on track to start losing weight.

Joe Busch specializes in writing articles related to healthy weight loss for kids. He focuses on proper diets, exercise, and fat camp. Parents with children that struggle with their weight should consider weight loss camps to jump start the process.

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