Healthy Habits to Prevent Obesity

1. Limit consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages

2. Consume the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables each day

3. Limit time spent watching television and other screen time

4. Eat breakfast each day

5. Limit eating out, especially in fast food restaurants

6. Have family meals where parents and children eat together

7. Limit portion sizes

Additional Healthy Habits

1. Eat a diet rich in calcium

2. Eat a diet high in fiber

3. Eat a balance of protein, fat and carbohydrate

4. For newborns, breastfeed exclusively for the first 6 months, and maintain breastfeeding for the first 12 months and beyond

5. Perform moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 60 minutes per day

6. Limit eating energy-dense foods

The Role of Preschooler Parents in Preventing Obesity

Parents play an integral role in shaping the health habits of their preschool children. Being a positive role model of healthy eating and physical activity is important for preventing excessive weight gain and obesity, as are playing with your children and making sure they have access to high quality food and places to exercise

As a preschooler parent, you are in control of what food is available to your child. Offer a variety of healthy food choices including fruits and vegetables, keep soda and other sweetened beverages to a minimum, and limit eating at fast food restaurants. At mealtimes, let your child decide how much they need to eat.

Preschoolers with parents who are overweight are more likely to become overweight themselves. Speak to a physician or health professional to discuss resources for adopting healthy behaviors.

Reference

Expert Committee Recommendations Regarding the Prevention, Assessment, and Treatment of Child and Adolescent Obesity: Summary Report. Pediatrics, Volume 10, Number 3, Dec 2007.

More Information About Preschooler Weight

Preschooler BMI - Does Your Preschooler Have a Healthy Weight?

Find out how to determine if your preschooler's weight is healthy.

by Kati Chevaux

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Helpful Tips for Parents

• Breakfast is the most reliably linked meal to cognitive performance in school-age children. Prioritize a protein- and fiber-rich breakfast every morning.

• Never use food as reward or punishment. "Eat your vegetables and you can have dessert" trains children to see vegetables as a barrier and dessert as the goal.

• Preschoolers need to see a new food 10–15 times before they'll try it, and they may need to eat it 15–20 times before they truly like it. Persistence without pressure works.

• Juice, even 100% fruit juice, should be limited to 4 oz/day for preschoolers — it displaces more nutritious foods, spikes blood sugar, and contributes to tooth decay.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I be counting calories for my preschooler?

Calorie counting for preschoolers is generally not recommended and can establish an unhealthy relationship with food. Preschoolers have a naturally functioning hunger-satiety regulation system (unless it has been overridden by pressure to eat or clean the plate). A preschooler who is growing on their own growth curve, has energy for normal activities, and is generally healthy is eating the right amount — regardless of whether you've counted calories. Discuss weight concerns with your pediatrician rather than independently restricting a preschooler's food intake.

What are the best sources of iron for a preschooler who doesn't eat meat?

Plant sources of iron (non-heme iron) are less bioavailable than meat iron, but absorption increases significantly when consumed with vitamin C. Best plant iron sources: lentils (most iron-rich legume), tofu and edamame, fortified cereals, pumpkin seeds, white beans, chickpeas, and dark leafy greens. Pair them with vitamin C-rich foods: orange juice, bell peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, and broccoli. Avoid pairing iron-rich plant foods with calcium-rich foods at the same meal — calcium inhibits iron absorption.

Related reading: See also our handwashing guide and our meal planning guide for more ideas on this topic.

🎓 Skills Your Child Will Develop

• 🥦 Healthy Food Knowledge — Learning about different foods, food groups, and what nutrients do in the body builds the food literacy that supports a lifetime of informed, health-conscious eating choices.
• 📏 Early Math Skills — Measuring ingredients, counting servings, comparing quantities, and dividing portions makes cooking and eating some of the most authentic early math experiences available to preschoolers.
• 😊 Positive Relationship with Food — Joyful, pressure-free food experiences build the positive relationship with eating that underlies lifelong nutritional health — and is far more protective against disordered eating than any restriction-based approach.
• 🍽️ Independence & Life Skills — Learning to serve themselves, pour a drink, or prepare a simple snack builds practical independence and the self-care capability that kindergarteners need to manage their own nutrition during the school day.

Even if your preschooler is at a healthy weight now, it's important to take steps to prevent excess weight gain and obesity. There has been a rapid rise in the number of obese children in the United States - from 5% in 1963 to 17% in 2004. Daily decisions about choosing healthy food and promoting physical activity in your preschooler is a great place to start. In addition, specific recommendations for preventing and treating childhood obesity were published this month (Dec, 2007). Here are some strategies supported by science to help prevent obesity in your child.