Weight control for an 8 yr old boy

Question
Thanks for your quick reply Laura!  So, what you are suggesting would be to have more small meals, like an adult?  They have snack time, lunch, and another snack time at extended school in the afternoons.  If I sent food for these instead of relying on what is served, that would make a big difference.  In addition, his father usually gets some sort of high fat breakfast on the mornings that he has him.  Do you have any suggestions for websites that may have some "kid friendly" menus or snack ideas?  I appreciate your help...

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Followup To
Question -
I have an 8 yr old boy that is a bit on the chunky side.  He is 4'10" and between 95 and 100 lbs.  He is active, plays both baseball and soccer, but is a very picky eater.  I try to fix healthy meals but he will not eat them.  He is a big snacker and loves sweets.  He spends half of his time with me and half of his time with his dad.  He and his dad eat out a lot, but, I think that if I could control a bit better what he eats at my house, maybe I could counter some of the bad stuff that he eats there.  Could you give me some advice on what I need to do.  I worry that this is going to escalate and I don't want that to happen.  I have been somewhat overweight, as has his father, for most of my life and want a different life for my son.

Thanks in advance.
Answer -
Jamie, your son already has the genetics to put on weight, so accept that he will probably have the body type of you or his father. What you do want to prevent is excess weight above what is found in his family. That is where food choices come in. Carbs, sugar, fruit juices, mac and cheese, pasta, excess bread, even excess milk can be easily stored as fat in some kids. The trick is to eat smaller meals that are around 300-400 calories. Anymore at a sitting can put weight on. Fast food meals can total over 1000 at one sitting, so limit fast food in your household if he goes out with his dad a lot. Try to get him to be active for at least 30 minutes everyday above and beyond what he is used to. Walking is OK. Keep a food journal of what he eats, he doesn't have to know you are doing this, and look up all the calories he eats. Try to get him in the 1500-1800 caloires in a day range. Once you become aware of the food he is eating, you will have a better chance of changing his eating habits. Good luck, Laura Kraemer,Slimkids.com

Answer
Brown bagging his food is the way to go. Don't rely on the school to feed him healthy, they won't. Smaller meals that add up to 1500-1800 calories in the day will allow him to eat many meals while losing weight. Fathers tend to go the easy route, that may be the hard one to change. Chances are is that dad like's the fatty foods too, and so you will be trying to change him too. I guess if he really had to go out for breakfast, an egg mcmuffin with oj or low fat milk is acceptable. Donuts, or sausage biscuits are not. In regards to kids and snacks, I don't really know of any websites to help you out. Laura Kraemer,Slimkids.com

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