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4 Tips to Help Your Family Lose Weight

© Deanna Couras Goodson

It's a common fact that obesity (a condition in which a person has too much body fat) is common in our society. One in three Americans is overweight. Some studies say that 67% of American children are obese. Obesity puts a person at risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke and a variety of other illnesses. It's a serious condition - and it's one that has touched my life and that of my children.

We're overweight. We are trying very hard to eat better, exercise more and get healthy. We realize that obesity is a family issue; we have to work on getting healthy together. Here are four tips - there are MANY, MANY MORE - that you can share with your families to work on this 'weighty matter.'

Make healthy eating a family affair. Just because not everyone in the family is overweight doesn't mean that everyone shouldn't eat healthy. Junk food isn't good for anyone. It's best to get it out of the house and reserve it, if you must have it, for special occasions - not common, everyday binges. It also helps your child if you practice healthy eating because it provides him or her with a positive role model of good nutrition.

Children learn what they see - and learn how to eat by how we eat!

Practice portion control. In this "super-sized" society, we've become very ignorant of what a proper portion size is. The amount of meat you should have at dinner, for example, is just about the size of a deck of cards. That's 3 oz. It's also important to note that a serving size is different than a portion size. Usually a portion size is smaller.

For more information on how to figure out proper portions check out:

http://www.toneteen.com/health/portionco...

or

http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/...

Eat slowly - and mindfully. You should chew each bite at least 20 times and eat at the dinner table, without watching television. This will allow you to be aware of what you're eating, how much you're eating and can help you NOT to overdo it.

Don't skip meals. So many times people think that they can lose weight if they skip a meal, usually breakfast. Breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. It revs up your metabolism, which is your energy and calorie-burning center of the body. It controls breathing, brain function and just about everything else you do!

By eating three meals a day, you're not starving your body. That will keep your engine going and prevent you from getting too hungry - which can cause you to crave and eat unhealthy foods - and a lot of them.

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