Should you ‘quickly’ force your child to lose weight in the summer?

Weight loss methods for children are not the same as for adults. While adults calculate calories in-out (energy intake is lower than consumed), children still need to ensure a rich and diverse diet to optimize height and brain development.

Normally, losing 0.5 to 1 kg per week is a healthy and safe rate of fat loss. Losing weight too quickly by cutting down on large portions of food, strictly abstaining from carbohydrates and fats, and exercising a lot will cause children to experience some harmful effects.

First, children lack the nutrients they need to grow. On the other hand, they are more likely to gain weight again. Most children who are forced to lose weight cannot maintain their weight after losing it. Applying a diet that is too strict makes children hungry, crave food, and easily overeat when not controlled by their parents.

In addition, children lose muscle mass. The amount of weight lost during dieting is muscle and water. Loss of muscle will make children weak, not enough energy to study and exercise. Dehydration makes children tired, have headaches, constipation, etc. A low-calorie diet also makes children susceptible to hair loss, fatigue, stress, immune deficiency, weak and brittle bones, etc.

To lose weight effectively, parents should apply scientific and healthy methods, for example reducing carbohydrates and added sugars, candy, soft drinks, and processed foods.

Replace refined starches with whole grains, such as using oats, sweet potatoes, and brown rice instead of white rice, sticky rice, or bread. Cut down on foods rich in bad fats such as fried foods, offal, animal skin, etc. Use foods rich in good fats such as fatty fish, nuts, and avocados.

Increase protein in your diet with fresh milk, eggs, lean meat (pork, chicken breast, beef), seafood, beans,…

Drinking lots of water helps increase metabolism in the body and burn calories better. Add lots of vegetables, help you feel full longer, and is good for intestinal health. Get enough sleep because lack of sleep can easily make children feel hungry, eat at night, and become stressed.

Increase daily physical exercise to help children burn fat better, avoid muscle loss, and increase optimal height. Recommended sports include: swimming, badminton, basketball, cycling,…