If your child is overweight, he may be the target of jokes at school. Children can be cruel, and making fun of friends is often a favourite pastime.
It is possible that your overweight child is the butt of numerous jokes at school. Children don't often come back and tell their parents when they are hurt by someone's behaviour. They are more likely to try and get out of going to school, so if your child shows a sudden hesitation in going to school, he may be having a problem with friends. Pushing your child to tell you what's wrong may not help. But enrolling your child in a sport to help him lose weight will.
Don't wait until your child is the butt of jokes before trying to get him to lose weight. Although all children may not enjoy racquet sports, most children enjoy martial arts. So, enroll your child in the neighbourhood karate, kung fu or taekwondo class. Not only will he start to lose weight, but he will also get more fit, healthy and confident.
Don't make your child conscious about his weight. Instead of stopping him from eating another chocolate, keep a limited supply of chocolates at him, or tell him that you're saving the chocolate for guests. Stock up on fresh food and healthy snacks, and avoid getting wafers and other junk, fatty foods in the house on a regular basis.
Don't force food down your child's throat just because it is in his plate. Your child will not be undernourished if he doesn't lick his plate clean. This may go against everything you believe in, but it is really not a sin for your child to leave some food uneaten on his plate. Millions of children around the world are starving, not because of lack of food supply but because of lack of money. Food supply is abundant. Did you know that governments throughout the world pay farmers not to grow food? Did you know that warehouses stock excessive grains so they don't flood the market? These grains are often eaten by rats, but not by humans. So the next time your overweight child is full, let him be. He will eat when he is hungry. Just make sure you feed him healthy, low-fat food, and leave the rest to him.
On the other hand, your child may not be overweight, but it is possible that he is making the life of another plump child miserable. Such behavior can be extremely destructive, not just for him but for those he makes fun of as well. Everyone indulges in some harmless leg pulling, but when leg pulling crosses the line of being fun and escalates into cruelty, parents should speak to their children. You cannot measure hurt caused to someone just if they cry. In fact, your child may tease another friend who just bursts into tears and then forgets anything ever happened. But it is those children who refuse to cry, or who look back with defiance that may be hurting the most. So encourage your child to be more sensitive towards the feelings of others.