Should Toddlers Diet?
I was eating at our office pantry the other day when some of my female colleagues started talking about their children. These two colleagues are relatively new moms, with kids aged around 2 or 3. They are quite young and are very much hands on parents. One is even majored in psychology in college and knows a lot about child development.
So anyway, I heard them talking about putting their babies on a diet. I heard a pretty explosive WHAT? in my head. Why on earth would you put your 2-year old kid on a diet unless she had some condition that necessitated it? I couldn’t keep my curiosity in reign so I asked.
The answer was that babies at that age should only have so and so amount of milk in a day. Apparently, her baby is used to consuming more than that so she decided to limit the amount of milk that her baby is consuming. This is so to avoid any negative effects of overeating – or drinking in this case.
My thoughts? One, what if your baby does need more than the recommended amount? Even if there is a suggested amount, babies are unique. Two, isn’t it a bit too early to put a two-year old on a diet?
I don’t know. I just may have a different perception of the situation. What do you guys think about putting toddlers on a diet?
Photo courtesy of Reini68
6 Responses
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July 13th, 2008 at 10:07 pm
My daughter’s weight is just right because I’m purely breast feeding her. But I know a mom who was asked by her baby’s Pedia to let her baby go on a diet. I personally think it would be best if you teach your children eat the right stuff like veggies & fruits instead of letting them go on a diet on an early age.
July 15th, 2008 at 11:18 am
I agree with you. Teaching them early to eat healthy is a must.
July 19th, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Hallow!!! Even though having them eat healthy is a different matter…How can you even think of putting a 2 year old kid on a diet. Let the kids eat!!!
July 21st, 2008 at 8:24 am
My pediatrician also told that my daughter should go on a diet because she’s heavy for her a two-year-old (weight of a 5-year-old). We tried but it is really difficult to put her on a diet. We try to give healthy food and she eats them but still eats all the others (she is not selective). MY mom said forget the diet. There will come a time when kids will NOT LIKE to eat anything at all. I also think genes should be considered. My husband came from a family of tall and big bodies (not fat, just big). I believe now that we just let the kids eat.
October 20th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Interesting article, thank you.
May 18th, 2009 at 6:02 am
My baby drinks milk three times a day and I don’t intend to put her in a diet. When my baby don’t like to eat I gave her light snacks but when she is hungry I let her eat until she stops.