Dealing with Toddler Weight Issues
Author: Jeannie Fleming-Gifford
If the saying "you are what you eat" were true, there would be a lot of hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and chicken nuggets in the world. Although there are some toddlers who will happily eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, there are definitely times when your toddler may also show a food preference or two and, as a result, you may struggle to help them maintain a healthy diet and weight.
Most times, if you provide ample choices for healthy eating, you will observe that your child will indeed eat well (mostly), and that a child will maintain a healthy, normal weight.
Are you concerned your child may be overweight? Or perhaps that they are underweight?
How should a typical toddler look?
Is there a proper weight?
Remember all children - people, for that matter - are built differently. Sometimes body structure may be interpreted for overweight or underweight. This is indeed true with toddlers who are tall; sometimes they are simply interpreted as "big" when, in fact, their weight may be appropriate for their height.
However, there certainly are children who are underweight or overweight and may need additional support to deal with these issues.
Underweight?
A child who is underweight may simply need their diet re-evaluated. Are they filling up on juice? Are there enough fats in their diet?
If they are offered a variety of foods, but are still struggling, you may have a choosy eater and you may need to be creative about your offerings, or even how your offerings are presented (i.e. hiding vegetables within a dish). If you are still finding weight to be a struggle, your child may need additional testing to determine if their weight (or lack of) is the result of another health ailment.
Overweight?
Certainly, there has been much discussion about obesity issues in the United States. It is a known fact that the United States has one of the highest obesity rates in the world. It's no wonder with fast food restaurants on every corner and fast-paced lives often leading to pre-packaged, high-calorie, low nutrition foods. Add these nutritional facts together with a sedentary lifestyle, and you have the recipe for an obese child.
What can you do?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) developed this guide for families:
http://www.aap.org/obesity/families.html?technology=1
Finally, if you have questions or concerns, always use your resources - #1 being your pediatrician.
