Dear Mom:

I am speaking to you and to other mothers with children at risk for overweight or who are already overweight. A 'diet', as we know it, will not work for a child. An eight year-old at 120 pounds is indeed overweight. This problem is, however, now a family problem.

The strategy you mentioned is neither child-friendly, child-healthy nor appropriate. The childhood years are not only for growth and development but for learning lifelong lessons. Some lessons which are important to the health and well being of your child and even their offspring, are the appreciation of wholesome foods from a wide variety of sources, prepared well, consumed in moderation at timely intervals throughout the day and very importantly, savoured and enjoyed.

Food is not an enemy and, if understood, should not be feared. Families have a great responsibility to source only wholesome foods from all food groups including staples such as cereals, grains and our starchy roots and tubers; legumes such as our wide variety of peas and beans; foods from animals (preferably limiting processed kinds); fruits, vegetables and oils. The foods from these groups will provide all the macro and micronutrients necessary for growth, development and for the maintenance of health. They also importantly provide culinary delights.

Purge your house

If you want to help your eight-year-old, you need to purge your house of excess and unnecessary processed staples such as fat- and sugar-laden cereals, biscuits and so on. The same goes for foods from all the other food groups. I mean, if they are bad for your overweight child, they are bad for the not-so-overweight or skinny ones and for the adults as well. These foods, if served, should be treats served in small portions infrequently.

Serve small wholesome meals throughout the day to your child when he or she is hungry, encourage daily play by providing the environment and opportunity for play, remove opportunities for excess involvement in sedentary behaviour and lead by example. Participate in the Parent Teachers' Association and demand better options for lunch and demand more play opportunities for your child at school.

If all this is done, your child will start to reduce his or her rate of fat increase, and will eventually grow into an acceptable weight with his health intact, form good eating habits, a good relationship with food and the bonus will be increased health for the whole family, as invariably if the child is overweight or eating unhealthily, the same problem exists with other family members. Very importantly, your child will acquire important tools for changing bad eating and other lifestyle habits.

No quick fixes

Mom, quick fixes can be tempting and some of them will help people to achieve their weight loss goal but cannot be sustained unless the reduction is in fat and not in muscles.

You should only trust a trained professional such as a paediatrician or a registered dietitian or nutritionist to guide you with weight modification and nutrition intervention for your child.

Seek a consultation, as there is no quick fix. Like everything that is worthwhile, it will take hard work, dedication and commitment. Dedicate some time and energy to making family changes by preparing delicious meal options for your family. Increase physical activity as a family.

This can be very difficult for a working mother, but you have to prioritise, you will not regret the investment.

You can do it!

Rosalee M. Brown is a registered dietitian/nutritionist who operates Integrated Nutrition and Health Services; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.