Healthy weight for children

An increasing number of teenagers are overweight, and if no intervention is made, 80 per cent of them will stay overweight as adults. This can put them at risk for many medical problems, including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and sleep apnea. Obesity can also adversely affect their self-esteem.

While most teens should not be put on a severely restricted diet, a combined approach of a sensible diet and regular exercise will help to control their weight gain.

Calorie needs

Children normally need a certain number of calories each day that their bodies use as energy for normal daily activities. This ranges for boys from 15,000 calories for a seven- to 10-year-old, 1,800 calories for an 11- to 14-year-old, and 2,000 calories for a 15- to 18-year-old.

For girls, the ranges are from 1,100 calories for a seven- to 10-year-old, to 1,200-1,500 calories for an 11-to 18-year-old. These are only estimates and some children need more (fast metabolism) or less (slow metabolism) of an energy allowance for daily activities.

The food pyramid guide demonstrates how many servings from each food group each child should be consuming on a daily basis.

How do you know if your son or daughter is overweight or perhaps just has some 'puppy fat'? With over a quarter of the population of children now overweight, it's increasingly important for parents to look out for the signs. What we need is average height-weight charts for children, so we know if they are on track.

Meloney A. Martin is a certified weight management specialist, fitness and nutrition coach, sports nutritionist, certified holistic stress management specialist, certified kids nutrition specialist and first aid & CPR certified. Tel: 579.6222, email: mhnc2005@gmail.com.

Monitor your children's weight at all times. - Anthony Minott/freelance photographer