In first grade Lisa Alexander's daughter, Pari, was invited to a slumber party. “She told me she was uncomfortable changing in front of the other girls because she was fat,” says Lisa. “This was a shocking moment for me because I now understood that she felt badly about herself.”
Soon after that moment, Lisa went to work figuring out what she could do to help her daughter. She even penned Seven Steps to Get Your Child’s Weight on Track. “Parents don't understand the pivotal role they play in the solution to a child's weight problem.”
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Since that moment, Lisa has helped families across the country beat childhood obesity by identifying the three crucial mistakes that parents make and the key actions parents must take to get control and start their child on the path to improvement:
Mistake #1: "She's not heavy."
Many parents refuse to be honest with themselves about their child's weight. They see the beautiful perfection of their child.
Action Plan: Learn what a healthy weight for your child should be. Compare where your child is to where your child needs to be. Acknowledge this goal.
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Mistake #2: "He'll grow out of it."
Studies show that 50% of obese school-aged children will become obese adults. Children do not always grow out of their weight problem.
Action Plan: You don't need to put your child on a crash diet, but you do need to get them on a healthy path with better food choices and exercise activities that will help them as they grow. The easiest time to get your child on track is between the ages of 4-12 when they are growing and still reliant upon parents for food and activity.
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Mistake #3: "I've tried everything."
Most parents simply give up. They may try something but usually not the right things - in the right way. Then they give up.
Action Plan: The secret is that you must put it all together in the correct way and you must commit to being successful. You can have a healthy child but only if you decide to make it a priority.