Even if you are careful about avoiding calories from trans fats and bad carbs, if you eat more calories than your body uses, you will gain weight. So to lose weight, you have to use up more calories than you are getting from eating and drinking and the easiest way to do that is to increase your activity level.
Remember that one of the key recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans is that children and adolescents should engage in 60 minutes of physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week.
Activity Level Definitions
Sedentary - a lifestyle that includes only the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.
Moderately Active - a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking about 1.5 to 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.
Active - a lifestyle that includes physical activity equivalent to walking more than 3 miles per day at 3 to 4 miles per hour, in addition to the light physical activity associated with typical day-to-day life.
Calorie Calculator Resources:
Calorie Count Plus - Free online diet system matches nutritous foods with your distinct tastes and preferences.
Nutrition - Proper nutrition in childhood can reinforce lifelong eating habits that contribute to your children's overall well being and help them to grow up to their full potential and a healthy life.
Childhood Obesity - Obesity in kids has reached epidemic levels. Experts estimate that 15% of kids are overweight and another 15% are at risk of becoming overweight. And two thirds of these overweight kids will become overweight adults. Learn to prevent obesity and help your kids stay at a more healthy weight.
BMI Calculator - Parents often wonder if their children are overweight, underweight or just right. Using our body mass index calculator, you can figure out if your child is at an appropriate weight for his or her height. The BMI calculator also works for adults!
Small Steps to a Healthy Family Lifestyle
Check out these 100 Small Steps and activities to see what you can do to change your family's life and make everyone more healthy and fit.
Weight Management Guide
A weight management guide to help your children lose weight. While most children should not be put on a severely restricted diet, a combined approach of sensible nutrition and regular exercise can help to control weight gain.
Exercise and Fitness - Which exercise is best for your child? Whichever one he or she will stay interested in, from golf to cheerleading. Help prevent obesity and keep your kids fit and healthy with these exercise and fitness tips.
Nutrition for Children - Find healthy snack ideas, even for picky youngsters. Learn how important school lunches are and how diet affects how our children learn. Do kids need supplements, or will a healthy balanced diet give them the nutrition they need?
