To control their overweight children, most parents forbid them from eating certain foods to prevent them from gaining weight.
According to experts, a child's diet restriction is not the way to fight obesity, but rather the opposite. The ban could be counterproductive.
By prohibiting them from some food (they are usually snacks rich in calories or fat) we turn it into something even more desired, being the “forbidden” food more attractive and thus exacerbating the problem.
The high increase of children with obesity in the last decade is worrying and parents are a fundamental pillar to instill good habits and establish adequate feeding methods.
Studies show that children with high restrictive levels by their parents are more overweight than children who are not prohibited from eating certain foods.
This suggests that a restrictive diet may not be the right solution. According to some specialists, the key is to help children make decisions about their own diet that will allow them to have a healthy weight.
Fostering self-control in children is more effective than telling them "you can't eat that." If we give them options they will learn to control themselves better and to be able to choose.
It is important for this not to have prohibited foods at home, but rather to be an exception to the usual diet. And of course, encourage them to exercise.
