Help Your Family Lose Weight

More and more people are becoming overweight. If you think that you, your child or a family member is overweight, talk to your primary care provider (PCP). If your PCP says you or your child should lose a few pounds, these tips may help:

• Make it a family affair. Think of this as a time to help the whole family. You and your family can benefit from eating better and being more active
• Everyone in the family should be active. Go bicycling after dinner, go for a walk or find a sport to play. The key is to make the exercise fun so that the entire family will enjoy it and continue to exercise
• Limit downtime. Limit the amount of time you and your family spend watching TV, playing video games and not being active. Being active is key to losing weight.
• Plan healthy meals. Serve plenty of fruits and vegetables. Try to cut back on portion sizes and foods high in fat. Do not have fast food often. Limit the amount of soda you and your family drink and limit your between-meal snacks to:
  • Fruits
  • Vegetables
  • Low-fat cheese
  • Peanut butter on crackers
  • Low-fat yogurt
  • Low-fat pudding
  • Fig bars
  • Whole wheat bread

Visit WebMD for additional information.