Motivating kids to get healthy: No easy task!

Let's face it - motivating our kids to get healthier can be tough.

In Season IV, we met Sally, Mom to then-11-year-old Amy, who said that she still finds it difficult to know how to motivate her daughter to make healthier choices. "It's really difficult. She still feels unattractive, and can't see the beautiful girl she is," says Sally, "and it makes her not want to try."

There are a number of ways that Sally tries to motivate Amy. She puts encouraging notes in her lunchbox and because Amy is interested in fashion, she offers clothes shopping as an incentive to try and lose weight. She also tries hard to be a positive role model for her daughter. Sally has continued to lose weight since the show ended and has become more athletic, completing a triathlon and 10k run. She gets Amy out on bike rides with her and is careful about the kind of food she brings into the house, recognizing that Amy has trouble with portion control.

Paul Plakas says that motivating kids is tough, and usually if they don't want to be active it's because they have low self-esteem. This low self-esteem shows when we expect kids to join group activities, but they don't want to participate because they're embarrassed that their fitness level is so poor that they can't keep up. "The key is to give them chances to make small successes, so that they can build up their self-esteem," says Plakas, "Get in some coaching or have friends or relatives come by to participate with them, rather than have them be in a big open group where everyone can see them. Find some way to improve their skill set, so that when they do get out there, they won't feel totally abnormal."

It is also important to try to find a fitness activity that your child is passionate about. Since filming finished, Amy has lost interest in swimming completely but has moved on to joining the cadets, which she enjoys a lot more. Talk with your child -find out what interests them and try to work with that interest.

Plakas also says that parents should avoid the temptation to just sign their kids up for something and expect them to jump right in. "You can't sign them up for soccer if they wouldn't be able to make it once around the field, just throwing them out there is very tough and they won't feel comfortable." He suggests putting in plenty of one on one time with your child kicking a ball around first, to increase their confidence.

This post is a repeat, but look forward to more original content to come in the future.