Child Weight
“We know that children who have a healthy weight for their height have better physical health. When our children eat and grow well they are also fitter, healthier and do better at school and play. To give them a head start we know it is easier to create healthy daily routines as early as possible. There are many ways parents and carers can support their children to be healthy. Small changes can make a big difference, such as short bursts of activity or play and eating a healthy balanced diet to support their development.”
Karen France, NHS Western Isles Nutrition, Dietetic & Catering Services Manager
How you can support your child
Be a Good Role Model
One of the most powerful ways to encourage your child to be active and eat well is to do this yourself.
Good Sleep
Good sleep is important for your child’s physical and mental wellbeing.
Healthy Portion Sizes
A good rule of thumb is to start meals with small servings and then let your child ask for more if they’re still hungry once finished.
Prepare Healthy Meals and Snacks
Involve the whole family with small changes to achieve a healthy, balanced diet.
Encourage Physical Activity
Any kinds of physical activity count, whether it’s going for a walk or cycle, playing in the park or indoors, being active is fun and good for health.
Reduce Screen Time
Try and limit the amount of time your child has access to screen time. This includes watching TV, playing games consoles and using smartphones & tablets.
The Parent Club website has some fantastic information on all these topics
Parent Club Sleep: https://www.parentclub.scot/topics/sleep
Eatwell guide The Eatwell Guide – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Parent club recipes https://www.parentclub.scot/recipes
Parent Club activities and Play https://www.parentclub.scot/topics/activities-play
Parent club food and eating https://www.parentclub.scot/topics/food-eating
Parent Club meal planner https://www.parentclub.scot/mealplanner
Measuring your child’s weight
Children grow quickly and their body shape changes over time, so it can be hard to know if you should be getting help for your child’s weight. An easy online tool to use is the NHS BMI (Body Mass Index) Calculator to help check if your child’s weight is outside a healthy range. If you need help to find out your child’s height and weight you can also discuss this with your child’s GP, Health Visitor or School Nurse.
For information about talking to your child about their weight, view ‘Talking to Your Child about Weight – a guide for parents and caregivers of children aged 4-11 years old.’
Support for Families
We can offer some support to families to help their child get the best possible start in life, we offer a range of HENRY workshops and 8 week programmes (insert flyer?) If you would like more information or to register your interest in future programmes please email wi.henry@nhs.scot
For more information about the HENRY programme and some tips, recipe ideas, activity ideas and family stories please visit https://www.henry.org.uk/parents
If you would like some more specialised advice and support you can self refer to the dietetic department by calling 01851 708279 or emailing wi.dietetics@nhs.scot to ask for a self referral form, or by visiting https://www.wihb.scot.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Dietetics-Department-Self-Referral-Form.pdf to download and complete a referral form.
The Dietetic Department offer one-to-one family-based programmes with a registered dietitian, some support may also come from a trained Healthy Weight Support Worker and we can see families in person, via video consultation and may also provide some support via telephone.
It is not about putting a child on a diet, but supporting healthier behaviours to achieve a healthier weight. We we try to avoid focussing on weight, so do not measure at every appointment. In some cases, with younger children, it may be better to see parents without the child and encourage some parent-only appointments.
The department offers a range of programmes for children of all ages, ranging from preschool to teens. The teenage healthy weight programme focusses on behaviour change and at times we may suggest seeing the young person alone.
The programmes look at:
- Developing a healthy relationship with food
- Child size portions suitable for age
- Being body confident
- Enjoying being active and feeling able to do the things you want to do
- Eating a balanced and varied diet.