The More They See, the More They Eat
Are you enticing your child to overeat?
Up until about age 4, kids usually eat just enough to satisfy their hunger, then stop. But as they get older, they tend to start ignoring what their stomachs tell them and eat according to other influences, like what they're served. Help keep your kids from taking in more calories than they need by watching how much food you're dishing out and by using small, lunch-sized plates rather than dinner plates.
How do you know if your child is eating too much? Easy: they gain too much weight. Depending on a child's growth spurts and activity levels, the amount he eats will vary; but keep in mind that compared to adult servings, children's servings are pretty small. For instance, a toddler-sized serving may be as small as just a couple tablespoons.
Serving children larger than recommended portion sizes encourages them to eat more. What's worse, most kids don't adjust how much they eat according to what they've already eaten that day. In fact, a recent study found that kids didn't eat less if they had big breakfasts, and the more snacks they were given, the more calories they ate in one day.
Helping your child learn how to gauge his internal hunger cues and manage his food intake accordingly will help him maintain a healthy weight and a healthy relationship with food. If you're worried about your child's weight or eating habits, ask your pediatrician for advice and guidance.
