Ho-ho-healthy: Parents struggle to help children stick to a diet during the holidays

NEW YORK -- Pam Vetter's 15-year-old son balked when she told him she was opting for a healthier holiday season this year: fish rather than turkey, fewer carbs and sweets.

He threatened to purchase a turkey, stuffing, potatoes and pies and put together his own traditional meal.

"It's a moral challenge," said Vetter, 44, a nonreligious celebrant in West Hills, Calif., who conducts funerals. She also has a 14-year-old son. "Do you make part of your family angry for the holiday season by cutting out the carbs and sweets?"

Many parents are trying to figure out how to have a healthier holiday without depriving their children of Christmas cookies, potato latkes and other treats. About a third of American childregon are overweight or obese, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates.

Jill Houk, 41, a chef in Chicago, said she is worried her 10-year-old will regain some of the 10 pounds he recently lost. She said her son loves food and tends to overeat unless she's watching him.

He has four sets of grandparents (she and her ex-husband are both remarried) sending him chocolate Santas, cousins with no weight issues whom he'll be hanging out with and a wedding to attend the day after Christmas with an elaborate buffet.

"Of course, we're going to be dining out all the time," she said.

Studies show Americans gain about a pound between Thanksgiving and New Year's; people who are overweight or obese are at risk of gaining five pounds, said Dr. Susan Z. Yanovski, an obesity expert at the National Institutes of Health. She said the weight gain is slight, but it accumulates over time.

While there is little research on children and holiday pounds, an Ohio State University study found that young children are prone to gain more weight in the summer than the school year when there is more time to snack and zone out in front of the television.

Likewise, during the winter holidays many children are "indulging in their favorite foods and sitting around with nothing to do," said Dr. Joanna Dolgoff, a pediatrician and author of the forthcoming "Red Light, Green Light, Eat Right: The Food Solution That Lets Kids Be Kids."

"Then there's the fact that kids realize it's the holiday season," she said. "'I deserve to indulge. How come everyone else is indulging?' They start to feel resentful and entitled."

Dr. Goutham Rao, clinical director of the Weight Management and Wellness Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, said some of his patients gain five to seven pounds for that reason. They see the holidays as a time to unwind and treat themselves.

Some aren't even thinking about their weight, said Dolgoff, promising to get back on track when school starts.

"If they say, 'I'm going to start in the new year,' they have given themselves free rein to eat anything and everything in sight," she said. "That's unfortunate. They wind up gaining more."

Children face a greater challenge when it comes to holiday eating than adults, said experts. They have less impulse control -- they see tempting sweets and want them without thinking of the consequences, Rao said. Many are unsure which items are healthy and what an appropriate portion size is.

Tracie Brosius, 46, of Greensburg, Pa., said she tries to keep the goodies in her house to a minimum. Her 17-year-old daughter, Torie Washington, is down 22 pounds since enrolling in Dr. Rao's program 1 1/2 years ago.

She said last Christmas Torie ate whatever she wanted, especially pizzelles -- Italian cookies.

"We don't deprive her of anything," said Brosius, who works for an insurance company. "If you are really craving something, you have a little bit of it."

That's a good strategy, according to Dr. Thomas Robinson of Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford, who warns parents not to be the food police. He suggests parents and children work together to prepare healthier holiday meals.

Vetter said her son has since calmed down. They went out for a sushi dinner on Thanksgiving -- California rolls, Yellowtail, Spanish Mackerel -- and he loved it, she said.

"We are still on track for more fish and we don't have the sweet carbs sitting around the house," she said. "Now my son wants sushi for Christmas."

Keep holidays happy and healthy

Worried your children are going to pack on the pounds over winter break?

Before you cut out the cookies for Santa, pumpkin pie and doughnuts, take a look at these tips from the experts.

MODEL HEALTHY EATING BEHAVIOR: If children see their parents piling their plates, they will probably do the same, said Dr. Sarah Hampl, medical director of PHIT Kids (Promoting Health in Teens and Kids), a weight management program at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo.

ADD, DON'T TAKE AWAY: If you have a family tradition of decorating cookies, don't take away that fun, said Susan Z. Yanovski, an obesity expert at the National Institutes of Health. "That doesn't mean you need to leave the cookies out for everyone to nibble on," she said. But you can always give them away.

PLAN PLAN PLAN: Give children a small healthy snack, such as string cheese or yogurt before going to a holiday party, so they are not ravenous, said Sarah Krieger, a dietitian at All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla. She also suggests bringing something healthy to parties like a fruit salad. "People will eat that if it's there."

INCREASE ACTIVITY: Physical activity goes down during the holidays when sports practices and dance and karate lessons are canceled. Fight the temptation to hibernate, said Dr. David Ludwig, director of the Optimal Weight for Life Program, Children's Hospital Boston. "Now is the time to be more rather than less physically active," he said. Children who are busy are also less likely to rummage through the cupboards or the Halloween candy stash.

GET CHILDREN INVOLVED: Work with children to come up with healthier alternatives to the way food is prepared, said Dr. Thomas Robinson of Lucile Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford. Children will feel like they are part of changing the way the family does things. "People's taste and preference are quite malleable."

DON'T RESTRICT: Don't restrict foods, said Dr. Goutham Rao, clinical director of the Weight Management and Wellness Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. It makes the food more valuable. "Help children know that this is a time when you can make healthy choices, even though they are out of school. It's not a time to go crazy."