Planned meals and snacks give the child regular sources of energy, help the child to develop sensible eating patterns, and encourage the child to learn correct food behavior in social situations. Studies of overweight children indicate that those children who eat regular meals control their weight more successfully. Parents can help the child to learn to identify and pay attention to feelings of hunger and fullness. It means not forcing a toddler to eat one more bite. It means sometimes allowing second or third helpings on some meal items.
Parents can demonstrate a healthy lifestyle.
Children learn by example. They are likely to want to do what parents do, whether that's eating chips and watching television or bicycling. Since a parent's primary role is to give support, any action that denies support should be avoided. A more positive response is for the parent to listen to the child express his or her feelings about that teasing and then perhaps ask the child if other children are getting teased and for what reason. Likewise, putting children on a weight reduction diet is a form of punishment that asks them to ignore feelings of hunger and may lead them to believe there is truly something wrong with themselves for wanting to eat more than their parents want to give them.