Quick Weight Loss for Kids

Approximately 15 percent of children in the United States are categorized as obese. Children who are overweight tend to want to lose their excess pounds as quickly as possible. Crash diets are very unhealthy for children and can stunt their growth and cause chronic illness. If a child wants to lose weight as quickly as possible without damaging their body, they should combine three proven ways for a healthier lifestyle: diet, exercise and behavior modification.

Lower-Calorie Diet

Proper nutrition is essential in a child's diet. It's especially important that growing children not engage in weight-loss fads. Some diets eliminate entire food groups, and a maturing body needs protein, fat, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins and roughage. It is possible for a child to adhere to a food plan that limits the amount of calories consumed in a day while still supplying their body with the entire spectrum of nutrients.

How many calories a child should eat depends on their age, height and activity level. You can determine how many calories they are currently consuming in a day and how much extra weight the child has gained in year and decrease calories based on those numbers. Take the extra number of pounds he gained and add a 0 to it. So if the child gained 5 pounds, decrease her daily calories by 50. If the child gained an extra 30 pounds, decrease his daily diet by 300 calories.

Exercise

Although children typically lead a more active lifestyle than adults, many children do not engage in enough exercise. Adding a daily exercise program to children's lives can help quickly shed extra pounds and prepare them for a lifetime of better health. An exercise program for a child should be simple and fun in order to hold their interest. One of the best ways for children to keep fit is with extracurricular activity such as sports. Basketball, football, lacrosse, soccer and tennis are all common sports that require a good deal of energy expense. If your child is not interested in sports, institute a program of between 20 and 50 minutes of daily walking, running, swimming, biking or rollerblading. You can change the activity every day to keep things fresh.

Behavior Modifications

Changing children's habits and behaviors can help them lose weight quickly. To modify a child's behavior, change habits such as eating while watching television, reading or sitting at a computer. Meals should always be consumed at the table without distractions. Encourage them to walk to school or to the park. Suggest they walk around the house while they talk on the phone. Don't purchase sugary snacks. Use smaller plates so that children feel like they are getting more. All of these extras can help a child instill better habits into their developing brains.