According to the Federal Office of Public Health, every fifth child in Switzerland is overweight. Children carrying extra weight are not only exposed to teasing and ridicule by their classmates, they are also at risk when it comes to their long-term health.
But don't panic yet should you spot an extra bulge protruding on your child. Whether your child is truly overweight or simply sporting a cute portion of baby fat is easy to calculate. Simply deduct 100 from the child's height and you will have the ideal weight. For example: A child that is 128 cm tall should not weigh more than 28 kg. But there's no reason for turning the diet upside down if this metric is above the benchmark. Since the body changes constantly during early childhood, your child may very well be forming a short-term reserve in order to have enough energy for the next growth spurt.
On the other hand, if your child does carry some extra kilos, you as the parent can influence his or her dietary and exercise habits positively. The following tips are meant to help:
01.04.2015