Five Steps to Healthy Teen Weight Loss Success
Step 1: Decide with your child whether or not he or she is going to attempt to lose weight and keep it off.
This decision must comprise very full involvement by the child. It also would be wise to put together a specific contract or plan for how this problem is going to be approached. This plan would contain discussion of who will plague whom, if possible nobody nags anybody, participation in exercise and the use of extra resources such as professional intervention, for example Weight Watchers or similar healthy weight loss programs.
Step 2: Attempt to modify eating and exercising patterns together.
Create an eating and exercise plan and try to live with it successfully in the family. This would comprise very low fat and very low sugar intake and a great deal of exercise. It would be most supportive if the entire family participated in this in a variety of ways to encourage your child's weight loss program.
Step 3: Use nonprofessional support weight loss programs.
The only two weight loss programs of this type that we recommend are TOPS (Take off Pounds Sensibly), a self-help club that has some participation by children with their parents, and Weight Watchers. Most people do not stay involved in these treatments for very long (75% drop out by the 12th week of any given episode of participation usually). Though, these two weight loss programs provide good information and are certainly less expensive than many of the available alternatives. Non-professional support could also come in the form of joining a health club or using a personal trainer at a health club.
Step 4: Obtain help from professionals with expertise in cognitive-behavior therapy and weight.
A lot of psychologists are trained in this sub-specialty and their approach has led to some excellent outcomes, including 10-year follow-up data, for many children and their families. These doctoral level, licensed psychologists provide services that are reimbursable by many health insurance companies. These individuals can be placed by asking for referrals from physicians and pediatricians, or by contacting the psychology departments of major teaching hospitals or universities in your area.
Step 5: Consider sending your child to high-quality weight loss camps or residential weight loss programs.
Occasionally getting your child out of the home and school environment can give them the new beginning they need. There are many routines that can have activated that make it difficult to remain track during the first month or so of a new weight loss program. By means of putting your child in a safe, clinically proper environment, they can concentrate on learning how to eat and stay healthy. Some of these weight loss camps do not teach children how to keep their weight over the long term. Be certain to ask about the focus of the clinical program, if the child will be able to follow the eating plan when they return home, easy to follow without a lot of special diet foods that might be hard to find at home, and if the program helps a inactive child safely begin a fitness program.
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