Healthy food is best 'diet' for kids

Is it OK to put my child on a diet?

Professionals in the field of pediatric health and wellness prefer not to use the term "diet," says Dr. Thomas McDonagh, a Huntington pediatrician and medical director of "Healthier Tomorrows," a multidisciplinary weight-management program for children 9 to 16. "It gives children the wrong thought process," he says. Children need a certain amount of calories per day to develop properly; they shouldn't be restricting their eating in the way adults think of dieting.

Instead, guide your child in making healthful choices at every stage of childhood. Toddlers "exercise for a living," McDonagh says, and it's easier for parents to control their food input, for instance, limiting sugar-sweetened beverages, including juice. As children get older, make a point of emphasizing how important it is to drink water instead of high-calorie drinks, eat fresh fruits and vegetables and exercise daily.

When children enter middle school, they become more sedentary and might especially need the push to get moving, McDonagh says. Encourage 60 minutes of aerobic exercise 365 days a year, he says. It doesn't have to be 60 consecutive minutes -- it could be four 15-minute walks during the day, or bicycling, or skateboarding. "It doesn't have to be organized sports," McDonagh says.

Following this plan, children's bodies should naturally find a healthy weight and maintain it, McDonagh says. If you need more support, many local YMCAs and other organizations offer nutritional and exercise programs for children.