Losing weight is very different for kids than for adults.  Of course the basic idea is the same, to take in fewer calories and to burn off more calories, but nutritional needs are different.  Also, kids and adults don’t have the same schedules and there can be challenges and advantages to each.

Kids ultimately don’t have a lot of say in what they eat.  They’re not usually out there buying food and for the most part they don’t do the cooking at home.  They rely on their parents to provide their meals, which means parents can give them healthy meals that help them to stay fit and healthy, but they also can let kids eat junk food and learn really bad habits.  As an adult, you’re not relying on anyone to feed you, so you have to take responsibility for yourself.  But that’s good, too, because you can pick foods you enjoy.

As far as fitness goes, kids tend to get more exercise than adults.  After all, school has a built-in recess for physical activity, and a physical education class.  Adults are stuck in an office all day with only a short break to eat some lunch.  However, once the work day ends, adults have some say in what they do.  They can choose to go to the gym or go out for a walk.  But again, there’s no one telling them what to do, so it’s just as possible for them to choose to spending the evening on the couch watching television.

Kids have the whole summer to be active and lose weight.  Sadly, it’s not as easy to go to a summer fat camp for adults, since adults can’t take a month off to be active in the mountains.  They have to make an effort to fit exercise into a busy day.  But it’s a necessary effort!