How can I help my 6-year old cousin eat healthier?

Question

My cousin is 6 years old and actualy really heavy. Now he weighs about 29kg (64 lbs) which concerns me a lot. He has an average height for his age.

The problem is that the child eats way too much than it should. He can eat about 800gr (1,8 lbs) of lasagna on his own, and he doesn't get too much support to eat healthy at home. He can add as much to his plate as he wants and however he is encouraged to eat vegetables, if he takes another piece of meat, that's okay too. His drinks are always always always apple juice from a box, something that isn't quite helping him either.

He also has a sibling who is really skinny and can eat about everything without gaining weight. That seems also a problem to me because she's allowed to have chips and sweets and he can't. Wich always results in him secretly taking the snacks anyway.

I'm a little concerned because the parents don't take his weight quite seriously, they say it's just a little fat that will disappear over time. It's not that they don't love or care for their child because the take him to the pool for swim class and go by themselves a couple of times a week.

I was wondering if there is anything I can do to help him as a niece, so he can eat healthier. In my opinion, the child doesn't understand he is overweight and it can be dangerous if he continues eating the portions and the unhealthy foods he eats.

I thought about inviting him over to make some healthy snacks with fruit and just have fun with them so he believes that fruits are just yummier than cookies or sweets and he will want to eat them at home also. I just don't know if that's the right approach to help him in the right direction.

Do you know what I can do to help the kiddo out?

UPDATE

I have some good new to share. His parents have acknowledged his problem and are now helping him in a very good way to eat healthy and drop weight.

When he drinks an entire bottle of water (1,5l), he gets some pocket money (1€). He can spend it like he wants to (but not on sweets). He's now so focused on drinking the bottle, he doesn't crave the apple juice anymore. He's also less hungry.

When he cheats and eats sweets or unhealthy snacks, he gets a sticker. If he has 5 stickers, he can't watch a daily soap he likes.

He is now also encouraged to eat a small piece of meat, potatoes and a lot of vegetables.

I think this is going the good way and hope he gets to a more normal weight soon!

Answer 1

The problem is that the child eats way too much than it should.

Under normal circumstances, I believe, children instinctively know how much of what their body needs. However, it is easy to spoil their instincts body consciousness. Sweets create a craving in the brain, and it is difficult - for a child near impossible - to separate the signals from the brain and the stomach. And as we know, eating may also often become a replacement for something else. Could it be that the child does not have enough other sources of joy in his life? Like harmonious family life, friends, social activities etc.

he doesn't get too much support to eat healthy at home.

Now that's a real problem. You can't really make a change in his eating habits without support from his parents. And if his parents let things get this far, I am afraid he has already well entrenched eating habits which are difficult to change.

Have you talked to his parents about your concerns? Are they concerned too, or do they dismiss the issue (or might they even see his weight as a positive thing)? This is very much culture dependent - in most traditional cultures being overweight has been seen as a positive sign, demonstrating that you were healthy and rich enough to eat well (and it was also a built-in fat reserve for times of famine). Even though those times are over (in the West at least), the old ways of thinking takes generations to change.

Apart from his family, another strong influence at this age is other children. It is, alas, very typical in kindergarten / school restaurants (at least in our country) that children spectacularly hate all sorts of vegetables, which thus becomes the ruling sentiment. Even our own children, who like most vegetables and used to eat all sorts of our homemade vegetarian / exotic meals happily, became much more dismissive to these after starting kindergarten.

I thought about inviting him over to make some healthy snacks with fruit and just have fun with them so he believes that fruits are just yummier than cookies or sweets and he will want to eat them at home also.

I am afraid that may not work straight away. I remember from my own childhood, that - having a sweet tooth - I found fruits in their natural form simply sour (compared to chocolate and its ilk), so I just didn't like most of them. It took a considerable amount of time as an adult, having reduced my intake of sweets, to start enjoying the natural sweetness of fruits. So at least, be prepared to add some extra sugar to your fruit snacks in the beginning.