Charles Runels, MD  

Tips for Keeping Children at a Normal Weight and Healthy

I do not claim to be the best parent on the block.  But, my children do enjoy good health and I've made a study of how to keep children at a good weight.  People who bring overweight teenagers to see me, pay $1,500 dollars to make the appointment.  I offer them a money back guarantee, and I've never been asked to refund that money (so hopefully, I do have a few tips).

My son, Trey (pictured here), recently thanked me for making it easy to stay fit.  He simply eats what I put in front of him and follows me around and he has an eight-pack abdomen.  Here are some of the things that I do with my three sons (ages 11, 14, & 15)   to help them stay healthy.

1. I buy enough junk food to last two days (one box of Little Debbie's junk food) and put up and out of sight in the highest cabinet.  I buy one carton of ice cream a month.  No other sweets, or colas, or white bread comes into my house.  If it does, it goes in the garbage can.  At Halloween, all candy left over after a week goes in the garbage can.  I allow sweets in the house during the month of December if someone gives us something, but all the baking I do is healthy (for example peanut butter, with honey and bee pollen, made into a ball for candy).
2. I do not keep any alcohol in my house.  None.  Ever.  I don't have any great moral convictions against alcohol but drunk drivers alone kill a little over 100 people per day in this country and I like for my patients to know that they will always find me sober if they call.  I like for my children to be able to say the same thing.  Also, I don't want my teenagers ever sneaking a drink out of my stash and doing something crazy.
3. I do not own a television.  We can watch movies on a widescreen television (use computer hooked to projector for very large image).  But, I'm in charge of this (since I control what movies come into the house).  Ads for junk food do not influence us because we never see them.
4. I allow them to have some crazy video games but to be able to use the games ad lib for one day when they must finish a book of at least 200 pages, write a summary in their journal and then show the summary to me.  This limits the video games to about once a week at most.
5. I keep plenty of nuts and fresh fruits within reach and in plain view and allow them to eat freely any time, even if I'm cooking dinner.  Why should I teach them so save their hunger and over eat at supper time (like most Americans).  A more healthful diet is to spread calories out over the day.
6. I take them with me when I go to the YMCA to work out.  If they want to read a book, or swim, or just sit in the pool, I do not care.  But, I figure if they get in the habit of going regularly it may stick with them. My father started taking me to the Y when I was 14 and I never stopped.  This teaches them that there are many people who work daily to stay healthy and still are successful at work and with their families.  Since 80% of the people in the USA are overweight, without this influence, they learn obesity-causing behavior as the norm (by definition, if you are of normal weight in the country, then you are in the minority).

Here's a link to a New England Journal Article and audio interview about childhood obesity that should be read by every parent.

Remember, the best thing you can do for your child's health is to stay healthy and model healthy behavior.

Peace & Health,

Charles Runels, MD