Weight gain in children ages two to five

Young children are more overweight than ever before, so here are the solutions that can help your child achieve a healthy weight.

Weight gain in children ages two to five

Being overweight is bad for a child’s health in his youth and in the future. An overweight child is more likely to be overweight in adulthood, which increases the rate of health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.

In addition, determining weight gain in children who are beginning to walk or very young children is not easy. A child may be “overweight” according to the BMI, even if he is not overweight.

It is encouraging, however, that there are plenty of ways to help a child achieve and maintain a healthy weight. As a reminder, if the child’s weight is of concern to the parents, the doctor, nurse, school nurse or health care representative can provide assistance and advice in this regard.

Children’s growing bodies

Just like adults, children become overweight when they gain more energy (in the form of calories) than they use. But the difference from adults is that they are still in the growth stage, and this means that they need more energy to grow.

It is important that they get this energy from nutrients and healthy food, not from foods full of saturated fats and sugar.

Most children who are overweight do not need to go on a diet and may not even need to lose weight. They can even try to maintain their weight until they grow taller. This way, a healthy weight will be more attainable. So if the child is overweight according to the BMI scale, eating behaviors must be changed and regular physical exercises must be done to achieve its goal.

Good food for young children

No need to count calories when it comes to a baby’s diet. However, a healthy and balanced diet must be provided to children that will prepare the child for healthy eating throughout his life.

The best way to accustom a child to eat a healthy diet is to set an example for him. If the child is overweight, the eating habits at home should be rethought. Is it food with the group as one family or fast food on the walk? Is the TV turned on during mealtimes? Is the food prepared at home or based on ready meals from the market?

By creating a regular meal pattern the whole family can enjoy mealtimes together, rather than letting the child snack on his own whenever he gets hungry.

The same food should be cooked for all family members even if they cannot eat at the same time. Turn off the TV at mealtimes because mental distraction facilitates eating excessive amounts of food.

How do boys become more active?

Physiological activity burns the calories a child consumes, which is important for the development of healthy and strong muscles and bones. Most importantly, physical play is part of childhood and a great deal of fun.

Children who are able to walk should do at least three hours of daily physiological activity throughout the day, both indoors and outdoors.

Children under five years of age should be kept away from inactivity and inactivity for long periods, except when they sleep. Watching TV, moving around in the car, bus, or train, or riding in a buggy for a long time is bad for children’s health and development.

Healthy eating rules for young children

Rely on starchy carbohydrates in meals such as pasta, rice, and potatoes.

Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily.

Eat proteins such as meat, fish, eggs, beans, legumes, and lentils.

Cut back on saturated fats (found in cured meats, pies, cakes, and crackers).

Cut down on sugary foods such as crackers, cakes, and soft drinks.

Avoid eating sugary drinks such as sweetened fruit juices and soft drinks, and if the child takes unsweetened fruit juice, it must be extended with water.

 Look for healthy drinks for preschoolers.

dilution of salt; Whether in cooking or while eating. Most children over the age of four eat a lot of salt. Market ready meals and cured meats often contain a high percentage of salt, so check food labels when purchasing them.

 There are several ways to dilute the salt.

Healthy snacks for children under five:

Parents should offer their child snacks when he is hungry between meals, such as a piece of fruit or a glass of milk, and only offer sugary foods occasionally, such as biscuits, chocolate, or cake.

Calcium is especially important for children, so it is necessary to ensure that the child eats three servings of calcium per day. Dairy products are an excellent source of calcium. You can get it from a glass of milk, a match-size piece of cheese, or yogurt.

It is possible to offer semi-skimmed milk to a child from the age of two onwards, while skimmed milk is not suitable for him until he reaches the age of five.

Picky Baby Food Tips:

When a child refuses to eat certain foods, it may seem difficult to introduce them to a healthier diet.

You should try to change your child’s eating habits step by step over time. First, we have to think about the eating habits of the rest of the family because the child may imitate them, for example, if the parents do not eat vegetables, then their child is not expected to do so.

You should think of a healthy and balanced diet that the child eats and then it becomes a natural regime in the home.

A wider range of foods are added to the baby’s diet gradually; Including new fruits and vegetables:

Offer small portions at first, as the child may be disgusted with large portions of unfamiliar foods.

Praise the child for trying new foods, but without criticizing him for not doing so. Eating meals should be fun, not stressful or a test.

Experimenting with a child with a new food may require several attempts, so parents must be patient and continue to provide food to the child on different occasions. Evidence suggests that accepting a new food requires tasting it more than 15 times, but only eating a very small amount each time.

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