Are you over-feeding your little child?

Obesity rates among children and adolescents in both industrialized and developing countries have reached epidemic proportions, according to the South African Medical Journal. One in five youngsters is estimated to suffer from obesity, which is indicated by a BMI of over 30.

Exercise and a healthy, balanced diet are not enough to keep our kids on the healthy side of the scale – we need to look at portion sizes more carefully. We eat too much, according to a 2016 survey conducted by the Forum for Infants and Toddlers. Nearly 80% of the 1 000 parents interviewed by the forum feed their four- to five-year-olds too much, while 10% of parents feed adult-sized portions of their children.

How much is your child supposed to eat?

• The amount of food that your child needs to consume will vary from day to day and from meal to meal. A child only needs to eat about two to five tablespoons of macaroni and cheese during a meal.
• Taller, more active children will eat larger portions than less active and shorter children.
• Toddler portions are just about a quarter to half of the normal portion of adults.
• A good way to calculate what serving size your toddler needs is to offer him a tablespoon per food group for every birthday he has had, according to whattoexpect.com. So, three tablespoons of fruits or vegetables, three tablespoons of grains, and three tablespoons of protein would be a serving for a three-year-old.
• Please do not force your child, when he’s full, to eat past the point. This can backfire and teach him to ignore his signals of hunger and fullness, which can lead later in life to obesity.
• Remember that toddlers are bad eaters in general. There will be good days and bad days, but if your child generally eats a variety of healthy foods, he gains weight, is on track for development, and is active and energetic, rest assured that he gets plenty to eat.