The politicians are fighting over what the government's role in obesity should be. The cheerleaders are on the sidelines egging on their teams. And the fans are in the stands rooting for their sides. Meanwhile we are getting fatter and fatter. Doesn't sound like a reasonable approach to me. I am a person of action. So let's work on prevention.
I was watching TV the other day (yes, I do watch TV) and I was studying the commercials. I realized that people do not know what normal looks like anymore. You have either the super model who is super skinny or the new size 14, which seems to be the new "average" female American.
When I talk to parents, I know they also have a warped idea of what a normal size child looks like. It starts with their babies, not only in what they look like, but how much they are supposed to eat and grow.
So let me give you some facts:
Age %Body Fat Cals/Day Wt Gain(lbs)/Year Avg Wt (lbs)
0-6 mos 29 750 10 (in 6 mos) 17
6-12 mos 25 800 7 (in 6 mos) 22
2 yrs 22 1000 5 27
3 yrs 17 1150 5 31
4 yrs 16 1135 5 35
5yrs 14 1200 5 40
Looking at those numbers, what does that tell you? Babies are chubby (duh) but a normal 5 year old is REALLY skinny. Also, even though a 5 year old weighs 6 times as much as a newborn, their caloric needs are only twice as much. So when it seems that they don't eat very much compared to their little brothers and sisters, you are making a valid observation. They are converting all that fat they were born with into lean, muscle. They don't need as many calories relative to their size. This is normal.
What are the things you can do to make sure your child is "average" and letting his body do what it wants to do? (One of those few times you really want an average child!)
Let's start with your newborn. Don't use a bottle or a breast as pacifier. Feed your baby for 10-15 minutes and then take the nipple out. The baby gets back a nipple attached to liquid at the next meal.
When you add solids to your baby's meals, you need to give your baby a voice on how much he wants. When your baby turns his head, do not insist that he takes "one more bite". That teaches the baby to eat for reasons other than hunger. Also, allow the baby to eat at his own pace. I know, I know, this will take longer. But you are trying to let your baby learn how to eat and to eat for appetite.
Moving on to your toddler: yes, you are right - they are only eating "Two Bites". So make sure that those two bites count. Only give healthy foods. Re-orient your thinking - it's not 3 meals a day, but 6 snacks a day of food that you would eat at mealtime. If your child has 3 glasses of 4-6 ozs of milk a day that is 240 cals, leaving only about 750 cals worth of food left. If you think about it, it really is a small amount of food. So don't worry that your child is eating nothing. Because if she is eating "something" she will become obese. She will eat when she is hungry. Children's stomach are about the size of their fists. They will not spend very long eating that "meal". Even so, they should sit down while they do it. Remember, you are teaching them good eating habits.
The part of a meal that you should be in charge of is what is available. Your child should be in charge of when and how much. And between the two of you, your child will eat healthy and normally. And the politicians can continue to duke it out while you have no problem to solve.
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