It is really good to start health consciousness while still young. I know that but I have a problem explaining that to my obese son. I encourage him to participate into sports or do some exercise but he doesn’t want to. I really fear for his health but could not think of alternatives on how to improve his lifestyle. I heard of a military school for boys and was hesitant on it. Aside from physical fitness, it is a good way to teach my son leadership and camaraderie. But, I don’t really like a military career for my son because it is risky and dangerous. However, he will definitely be trained to be physically fit in the school. I am thinking of it very hard and I decided to look for other options.

I would really appreciate any suggestion…

Just curious how old is your son??  What grade level is he in currently.  Another idea is to have him do house chores that require some physical activity such as mowing the lawn, raking the leaves, dusting the house, clean the toliets, etc.  Or how about everyone in the house go on an excersise program together.  Everyone go for a bike ride together, long walk, or shoot some hoops.  Or how about the martial arts instead?  That will get your son moving and teach him to be a leader and to have self confidence as well.  Hope this helps for what it is worth.

Here is to healthy living,

Scooby

I don’t blame you about not wanting military training or a career for your son.  It’s not only risky and dangerous, I also think it can suppress creative and independent thinking.  I prefer many of the other programs such as wilderness outreach and sports based programs teach team building and camaraderie without the military attitude. 

I believe that the best way to introduce health and exercise into his life is to lead by example.  First, you need to live a healthy lifestyle.  Eat good food at home and let your son know that unhealthy foods are not part of your family diet.  Also exercise together and show him that it is fun.  If your son is older, it may be a harder process since he already has some patterns established, but if he is quite younger it will be much easier to get him involved.  Simple explanation of the benefits of exercise while sitting and watching TV aren’t very effective. 

Good luck with him.

Put timers on your TV’s. You know, the timers that you use for your Christmas lights. Set them so they allow the TV to come on at 6PM. This will prevent him from coming home from school and sitting in front of the TV or playing XBox. Of course, you won’t be able to watch TV either but that’s not a bad thing. After a couple days, he’ll be dying to go outside and play. You can use them in the summer too. The TV turns off from 1PM-6PM.

I was allowed to become obese as a child, my mother didn’t stop me. Sometimes she tried to set an example but never really set down any ground rules about the fridge and cupboards. And right now, oh how I wish she could have. But the most important thing is getting what the child needs, why are they obese? There must be something wrong, somewhere. Many use food to replace things, so do you think that might be a factor in your son’s obesity(besides as the fact that he’s not exercising)?

How overweight is he, and how old is he exactly?

The greatest gift I received from my parents was the basic health and fitness philosophy I still use every day.  This was given to me long before healthy lifestyles were a fad, it was a way of living.  We had fruit and veggies as part of our normal meals, we ate together as a family, we played (exercise)d together.  It gave me foundation I still live by.  Food was something we needed to eat to live.  It was never a reward.  Exercise (play) was the reward.  I could go outside to play.  I could swim, walk the dog, ride my bike.  Anything to stay moving.  Although I was too young to really appreciate the gift, I have learned over time to really appreciate what I had.

Both of my parents are gone from my life now.  I like to think that they are in a better place.  I am eternally grateful to both of them for the gifts I received from them.  I was with both my Mom and Dad when each passed, at their time.  I loved both deeply and know that they went in peace with only unconditional love between us.  Do what it takes with your son.  It’s worth it long term.

Hello guys,

Thank for your great advices. I appreciate them. I will definitely find time to have some outdoor activity with him. I think martial arts training is great and will certainly eliminate the military training on our option.

Hi, I’m a mum of 3 boys so thought I’d throw my thoughts in here.

I’ve found boys really don’t like ‘things that are good for them’. For that reason, I tend to serve up food with no comment on its value to their bodies. I try to only buy healthy food so, at home, they can only make a good choice. Again, it isn’t discussed.

As I child, I never exercised. Instead, we played tennis, swam, walked, ran...like Paula, our exercise was our playtime. To get your son moving, I’d suggest you go for a walk together...don’t tell him you are exercising, just find an excuse to walk (an errand, visit someone etc) and off you go. Go for a bike ride together. Have a picnic and afterwards, walk off your lunch. etc.

Boys are also much more communicative when they are doing something, especially moving. They don’t find it quite so confronting as they do across a table.

A friend of my son’s was obese and identified himself as ‘the fat kid’. His mum was also overweight and used to train with me. We used to talk alot about self-esteem, food issues etc. She took all the ‘junk’ food out of the house, made it a family thing that they all went for a walk together everyday and when she wanted to buy her boys a treat, she got them something that wasn’t food (collector cards, comic book, magazine).

I saw her son yesterday...he looks fantastic. You wouldn’t call him ‘the fat kid’ anymore.

I really hope you and your son can do something about his weight. Martial arts training is something extremely positive to have in his life. I hope it all goes well.

Haha, it’s so true though. My 9 year old nephew found out the ketchup we had was organic and he asked for ‘the other kind’ instead.

My niece talks about how she’s “fat” and should be on a “diet”. She’s only 6 years old........