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Preventing Holiday Weight Gain - Managing the School Holiday Period

Disclaimer: This fact sheet is for education purposes only. Please consult with your doctor or other health professional to make sure this information is right for your child.

School holidays can be a challenging time for parents, so here are some tips to keep your family active and focused on your healthy eating habits over the break:

• The availability of a large amount of food coupled with less physical activity leaves children vulnerable to weight gain.
• Keeping your child as active as possible is a positive way to help prevent excessive weight gain during school holidays.
• Encourage your child to be physically active outdoors doing vigorous activity for at least an hour each day. Vigorous activities are activities that make you "huff and puff" such as running, bike riding, skateboarding and swimming.
• Swimming is a great Summer holiday activity, as is bike riding, bush-walking and school holiday camps:
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  http://www.dsr.nsw.gov.au/holidays/index.asp
• Try and purchase Christmas presents that promote activity such as bikes, skateboards, games, balls, skipping ropes and Frisbees.
• Limit television, video/DVD access to two hours each day.
• In order to help prevent overeating, encourage your child to maintain his or her school pattern of eating with breakfast, recess, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner rather than adopting a grazing style of eating.
• Consider packing lunch and morning and afternoon tea ahead of time each day, just like you might on a school day. Store the prepared food in the fridge.
• Try not to over purchase high calorie, high fat foods such as chips, chocolates and lollies at Christmas as if they are kept in the house, your children will want to eat them.
• Keep Diet soft drink at home, rather than sugared varieties.
• Give away leftovers from Christmas so that the kids (and you!) are not tempted.
• Relax over the Christmas day and enjoy the festivities but aim to get back on track with your healthy eating and exercise habits the day or two after Christmas.
• Ask relative not to purchase children extra lollies and chocolates
• If your child does have treats, ration them out over the course of the week or holiday period.

• The school holiday period can leave children vulnerable to weight gain.
• Keeping children active for at least 1-2 hours each day is a key way to prevent weight gain during the school holiday period
• Try and stick to structured meal and snack times during school holidays to avoid overeating.
• Enjoy the key holiday days such as Christmas but aim to get back on track with your healthy food and exercise habits early in the New Year.

The Children's Hospital at Westmead Tel: (02) 9845 3585 Fax: (02) 9845 3562 www.chw.edu.au	Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick Tel: (02) 9382 1688 Fax: (02) 9382 1451 www.sch.edu.au	Kaleidoscope, Hunter Children's Health Network Tel: (02) 4921 3670 Fax: (02) 4921 3599 www.kaleidoscope.org.au