SENIOR SAVVY
Our Grandkids Are Fat!
Dear Savvy Senior,

My husband and I are helping our daughter raise her two kids, but we have a serious concern. The concern is, our grandkids are fat and our daughter doesn't seem to notice it. Any suggestions on how we can help our grandkids slim down?

Slim at Sixty Dear Slim:

Your problem is more common than you may realize. In the United States today, one out of every three kids is overweight, but studies show that most parents, like your daughter, either don't recognize it or deny it.

Healthy Suggestions

The best place to start helping your grandkids is by talking to your daughter, explaining your concerns and presenting her with some solutions that can help. The facts are that overweight children face

serious medical and emotional consequences. The extra pounds can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and chronic joint problems, not to mention low self-esteem and social problems. Here are some solutions to consider:

 Eat smart: It's a good idea to work with a pediatrician or dietitian to develop a weight loss plan for your grandchildren. They can determine how much weight they need to loose and give you a healthy dietary guideline to follow (see www.mypyramid.gov). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also provides an online tool (www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/ dnpa/bmi) that can help you determine how overweight your grandkids are.

 Family support: A big reason child obesity is so high today is because their parents or grandparents are overweight too, so make weight loss and healthy lifestyle changes a family project.

 School food: Keep an eye on what your grandkids are eating at school. Many school lunch programs serve lunches that are high in fat. Vending machines offering snack foods and soft drinks are available throughout most schools, too. You might find that packing a lunch from home is a much healthier option.

 Snack smart: Buy healthy, low-fat, natural snacks for your grandkids when they visit and limit the cookies and ice cream.

 Get them involved: Get your grandkids involved in the planning, shopping and preparing of meals, using the new food pyramid as a guide. It's a great way for them to learn about various foods, as well as how to cook.

 Read labels: Have you looked at what's in a Kraft's Lunchable or some of the other so-called convenient kid foods? Most of them are loaded with fats, carbohydrates and sugar. Even if they claim they're healthy, be sure you read the nutritional label.

 Eat together: This is a good time to teach healthy eating habits. Also, to control portion sizes, you should dish up the food on the kids' plates. And avoid eating in front of the television, which can cause overeating.

 Slow down: Teach your grandkids to eat more slowly. When we eat too quickly, our bodies think they need more food to be satisfied.

 Less fast food: As convenient, cheap and tasty as they may be, fast-food restaurants are fat factories. But if you do eat there, choose their healthier options (see www.fatcalories.com).

 Drink water: Among the biggest culprits behind childhood obesity are soda and fruit juices. Encourage your grandchildren to drink water or low-fat milk.

 Limit TV time: Limit the time your grandkids spend watching television or playing video games to two hours or less a day.

 Physical activity: Exercise is essential for long-term weight loss, so encourage your grandkids to get out and play, ride their bikes or find some type of physical activity they enjoy doing.

 Motivation: Set small, achievable weight loss goals and reward your grandchild (but with something other than food) for reaching them.

Savvy Tip: The Weight-Control Information Network offers some great weight loss publications including "Helping Your Overweight Child." To get your free copies, visit www.win.niddk.nih.gov or call 877-946- 4627.

Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, Oklahoma 73070, or visit www.savvysenior. org. Jim Miller is a regular contributor to the NBC television "Today Show" and author of the book, The Savvy Senior.