The calories from half an apple left over at the end of the day for one year will lead to about 5 pounds of increased weight. If that continues for 5 years, it becomes a troublesome 25 pounds. With this in mind, it is easy to see how slender children and adolescents with Down syndrome can change into overweight young adults. Focusing on Calories alone is one option. However, unless there are other medical reasons, it is risky to limit calories for children under 18 without direct medical supervision.
Children have great vitamin, mineral, protein, carbohydrate and energy needs while they are growing.
Limiting calories may cause children to get too few of what they need to grow and develop well. For Adults, a sole focus on calories becomes a battle of will-power, and feels like a punishment. As with everything else, focusing on positives and abilities has a far greater effect. Beginning with a focus on physical activity has many more positives. A person can choose from a variety of aerobic activities that are enjoyable.