How can I make my brother healthier?

Question

Ok my 10 year old brother is overweight. He used to be skinny(about 3-4 years ago), but now hes about 20 pounds overweight. My brother does not eat healthy at all and gets very little excercise. His ideal breakfast is cocoa puffs and a huge glass of milk. For lunch he eats mac and Cheese or somthin like that. For dinner he usually eats somthin that has to do with Hamburger. He also eats lots of snacks (yesterday he ate half a back of doritos).

I really feel sorry for him because a lot of people make fun of him that he is fat. Even some of the people I used to hang out with would be like whoa your brothers got like a double chin. That made me really sad. I try to teach my brother to eat healthy and portion control but he doesnt think about it when begs my mom to buy him a candy bar. My parents know hes overweight but do NOTHING about it. They still buy mac and cheese (even though they dont eat it) and when I ask them why there buying that there answer is always its the only thing he will eat. My brother is sort of a picky eater only because he takes one look at a food and if it doesnt look good he wont eat it. What should I do? I really really need help here. I dont want my brother to get diabetis or another obese related disease and I am sick of people making fun of him? what can i do? I really need help here! How do I get my parents involved???

Answer 1

introduce him to less fatty foods that ARENT tasteless slop from MacDonald's. some ideas are houmous (red pepper and jalapeno houmous are to die for!) with raw carrot or cucumber sliced up or oaty bars like nutra grain. porridge or yogurt with fruit are good for breakfast. for lunch try getting low fat and cal ready meals. most value ones from supermarkets are like this and some are really tasty plus they're less than a dollar/pound each usually. for dinner try fish or PROPER meat with salad and wedges instead of chips. also take him swimming. it doesn't tire you out as fast and burns about 500-700 calories an hour!

Answer 2

There is not really much you can do, your parents are in control of the food in the house. You could try getting him involved in some physical activity, something the 2 of you could do together, biking, rollerblading, or maybe your parents would swing for something like Tae Kwon Do or kickboxing. Use positive reinforcement, not negative, that will go a long way in how your brother's self esteem is. Keep trying, but don't nag, he will only become more resistant.  

Answer 3

Your brother is 10, so someone in your house is buying junk food and supplying it to him. You need to get to the root of the cause and stop it dead in its tracks there.

Answer 4

Ask your parents if they think it's healthy for their 10 year old son to be 20 pounds overweight.  When they say no, tell them that they should probably help him lose weight by making him healthy meals.  If he won't eat the food make him sit at the table for as long as it takes until he eats 10 bites or something.  Instead of giving him wendy's ask your dad to make home made hamburgers and then have a side of corn on the cob or some other vegetable.

Getting him involved in a sport would be a great idea also.