How to Lose Belly Fat for 12 Year Olds

How to Lose Belly Fat for 12 Year Olds – Nowadays, Weight problems in kids are a growing cause of concern across the globe. It has led to a rise in childhood diabetes, cholesterol, osteoporosis, fatty liver, asthma, heart ailments, and many more.

These diseases that are typically seen during adulthood are now appearing during childhood. Obese kids are also more inclined to bullying, body-image anxiety, insecurities, and depression.

How to Lose Belly Fat for 12 Year Olds?

Weight loss in kids should be done with care and caution. Parents have to create a safe and sensitive weight loss plan in consultation with their pediatrician, dietitian, or nutritionist.

A random weight loss plan can hamper the kid’s nutrition, growth, and stress levels. Furthermore, what works for adults does not work for kids because their body is still in a developing stage.

How can I Identify Weight Problems in Kids?

Understanding if your child has weight problems the first step is to have a proper plan. This is important because kids grow at a different pace.

It is best to first consult your pediatrician to check the child’s Body Mass Index (BMI), which measures their weight against height, gender, and age. 

A guide about what percentile of BMI can indicate that your child has weight problems is given below:

• 5th and 84th percentile: Healthy
• 85th and 94th percentile: Overweight
• 95th percentile or more: Obese

Tips to Lose Weight for Kids:

1. Calorie Count

You should not eliminate calories from the kid’s diet randomly because they give energy and have other essential health benefits. You need to know exactly how many calories your kid needs for proper growth. The number of calories that a child need differs according to his age, gender, BMI, activity, etc. 

2. Low-Glycemic Diet

The capability of carbohydrates to raise blood glucose is referred to as GI. Studies suggest that low-glycemic food keeps one full for longer because it takes more time to digest and blood sugar also stays stable. 

You don’t need to eliminate carbs from your kid’s diet. Simply, select low or medium-glycemic carbs like broccoli, carrots, apples, berries, beans, nuts, peanut butter, yogurt with honey and fruits, milk, cheese, and many more. Avoid high-glycemic carbs like corn, potatoes, white rice, French fries, chips, juice, jam, sweet and frozen yogurt, bread, pancakes, waffles, pizza, and polished forms like Maida.

3. Eat More Fruits, Veggies

You should add more vegetables and fruits to your kid’s diet. Serve whole fruits, not fruit juices. because juices have less fiber as compared to fruit. Though, not all fruits and veggies are good for weight loss. Some may be high glycemic, which we have discussed above.

4. More Water

Don’t let your child drink energy drinks and cold\ soft drinks, soda, etc. because they increase their weight gain even more. 

5. Good Sleep

Kids must have 9 to 11 hours of sleep and teenagers need at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep. Early and good sleep is important for proper growth and metabolism that helps maintain their body weight.

7. Add More Protein

Protein stimulates a growth hormone that will help the body break excess fat into energy. Thus, serve eggs, plant protein such as pulses and legumes, and lean meat like a chicken.

8. Meal Plans

You should avoid long gaps between meals because an empty stomach for a long time leads to gobbling during meals. It is recommended that three small meals and two small snacks daily are perfect.

9. Daily Exercises/Sports

You should exercise or play some sports for at least 60 minutes daily. First, start with 10-20 minutes daily and increase the duration progressively. You can also make it entertaining by organizing dance and music sessions, running with a pet dog, a family swimming session, and many more. Here are a few good exercises for kids to lose weight are:

• Gym
• Swimming
• Cycling
• Dancing
• Running
• Roller-skating

What are the Dos and Don’ts of kids Losing Weight?

Dos

• Teach habits like daily exercise, and stop eating unhealthy foods while watching TV to avoid overeating.

• Give Rewards to the child for weight loss achievements with a movie show, a toy, etc. But, do not reward them with their favorite unhealthy food.

• Keep Adding errands to their daily schedule, encourage them to take the stairs and avoid the lift, walk to a nearby kid’s activity zone rather than take the car, etc. 
• Substitute junk foods with homemade snacks like sprouts, salads, baked papad, ragi dosa, grilled chicken strips, makhanas, and many more. 

Don’ts

• Don’t make impractical plans. Therefore, if your child likes eating something that is against the weight loss plan, don’t remove it. 
• Do not let your kids watch TV, play video games, and couch around for hours. 
• You should Teach them the “Don’t give up” attitude.
• Avoid going for a fast-track weight loss program. It can harm more than do good.

Cons of Losing Weight Fast for Kids

You should approach the subject of weight loss with care and sensitivity. You should openly address the weight-related worries and insecurities of the child. It is seen that many kids, especially girls, try to experiment with weight loss in their ways. This could be irrational and harmful. 

Also Learn: How to Lose Belly Fat Overnight with Vaseline

Conclusion:

Understanding if your child has weight problems the first step is to have a proper plan and this article on “How to Lose Belly Fat for 12 Year Olds” will surely help you.

This is important because kids grow at a different pace. It is best to first consult your pediatrician to check the child’s Body Mass Index (BMI), which measures their weight against height, gender, and age. 

We have shared everything about losing fat for a 12-year-old in this article if the information helped you in any way, then do share it with your friends so they can also be benefited from it.

If you have any issues or problems with this article then do let us know in the comment below.