How Can Parents Help Their Children Be Healthier?

If your child is overweight, there are many ways to prevent further weight gain and help your child regain a healthy body weight and body image at the same time. Even if your child is in a healthy weight range, it is important to give children healthful, low-fat snacks and make sure that they take part in physical activity every day.


Many experts recommend that television, including video games and computer time, should be limited to seven hours per week. Older children should be taught to make healthier choices when selecting snacks and meals. It is important for children to avoid snacking or eating meals while watching television.


Parents set the standard for their children. Here are some suggestions for keeping your home child-health friendly.


Plentiful Pantry: Keep your kitchen stocked with delicious and nutritious foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, beans, lean proteins and low-fat dairy products. By eliminating junk food from your kitchen, hungry children will automatically make the right choices at home.


More Mealtimes: Have meals as a family. Don’t place your child on a restrictive diet – just make sure that all the choices in the home are healthy for them. Food should never be used as a reward or a punishment. Make sure that weigh-loss meals are low in calories but not in essential nutrients. Any weight loss management program should be supervised by a physician.


Sweet Treats: Sweets are just that – a treat. By giving up sweets entirely you could alienate your child. Make sure that kids understand that sweets are something special, not to be eating every day. One suggestion is to go out for them as a special event and not keep them at home. For example, going out for ice cream, rather than keeping it in the freezer, teaches kids that it is something special. This can also be great family bonding time!


Fore go Fast Food: Studies show that overweight teens consume about 400 more calories a day when they eat fast food. Help you child appreciate the delicious taste of fresh, healthy food.


TV Turn Off: Make the home and family a time for activity, not sedentary TV-watching. Having a TV in the bedroom may encourage kids to spend more time in a solitary, sedentary environment.


If your child is already overweight, it is important that they know they are loved and appreciated, no matter what their weight may be. An overweight child will likely know better than anyone else that they have a weight problem and don’t need reminders of it at home. Encouragement and proper modeling from their parents is the best attitude to take.


Focus on your child’s health and positive qualities, not their weight. Try not to make them feel different – focus on gradually changing your family’s physical activity and eating habits and be a good role model for your child. If they see you consuming healthy foods and engaging in proper physical activity, they are more likely to do so themselves. If you are an active parent, subtly get them involved in your activities and you may find their healthy and body image improving along with your relationship growing.


The U.S. Surgeon General also reminds us that an appropriate goal for many overweight children is to maintain their current weight while growing normally in height. They also recommend 60 minutes of daily physical activity for children most days of the week, but even greater amounts may be necessary for sustaining weight loss. Make sure that these vigorous activities are fun for your child.


If you are interested in getting on the track to health, come to BOOTCAMP 619!

The Effects of Overweight and Obesity on Children’s Health

The first effects of high weight or obesity in children are emotional and psychological. These are soon followed by the physical effects on a child or adolescent’s health.


Some of the emotional and psychological issues related to a child being overweight not only affect them through adolescence, but into adulthood.


Teasing: Studies have shown that though children who are exercising to lose excess weight may be teased by their peers, the children who dealt with and discussed the issue openly, rather than avoiding exercise, had a healthier self-esteem and enjoyed exercise more.


Discrimination: Overweight or obese children are often the subject of social discrimination. They can often unknowingly be discriminated against by their own family members. It is important for parents to encourage their children to be active and speak openly about concerns they have about their weight and related activities without pressure or judgment. Parents should focus on their child’s health and positive attributes without focusing on weight.


Stereotypes: With society’s view of weight-gain and obesity seen as “fair-game,” children are the most susceptible to the negative effects of weight-related stereotypes.


Low Self-Esteem: In children, body-type is most associated with appearance and athletic ability, rather than competence, as in adults. The effects of overweight and obesity become strongest as children move into adolescence. These formative years can have a profound effect on adult attitudes.


Anxiety and Depression: Parents should be watchful for signs that their child is having problems—such as changes in sleep habits, withdrawal from their normal activities or unusual irritability.


Overweight and obesity can lead to problems in childhood, adolescence and on to adulthood.


Diabetes: Type 2 diabetes, previously considered an adult disease, has increased dramatically in children and adolescents. According to the U.S. Surgeon General, overweight and obesity are closely linked to type 2 diabetes.


High Blood Pressure: The American Heart Associate notes a direct link between high blood pressure and overweight children. A special diet and physical activity may be prescribed by the doctor to help lower high blood pressure in overweight children.


Heart Disease: The U.S. Surgeon General reports that overweight children are more susceptible to heart disease as adults.


Sleep and Respiratory Problems: Research shows that at least one-fourth of overweight children have serious sleep problems. Not sleeping well can affect children's behavior, their ability to function in school. Sleep problems can often be caused by apnea and other respiratory issues brought on by overweight. Three months of physical activity showed an 80% improvement for children diagnosed with sleep problems.


Cancer: The American Cancer Society reports that overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk for cancers of the breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, gall bladder, pancreas, and kidney and that since overweight children are more likely to become overweight adults, they are at higher risk for these diseases.


Liver Disease: With some overweight children developing liver disease and even requiring transplants, health experts are urging pediatricians to watch for warning signs and address the problem through lifestyle changes.


Early Puberty: Studies show there is a link between body fat and puberty. They lend support to the idea that the obesity epidemic among children in the U.S. may be driving a trend toward earlier puberty in girls.


If you are concerned about your family's health, talk to Chris Keith.

Overweight and Obesity in Children

Though there is no general agreement in the medical community on the definition of obesity in children, most professionals use the body mass index as a guideline. BMI, or Body Mass Index, indicates body weight measured in pound in proportion to the height measured in feet for adults. Studies have revealed that if an adult’s body mass index is 17-32 then they have a longer life.

It has been seen that men have less fat than women with the same body mass index. BMI can also relate to a person’s health condition.

If you have a high body mass index then you can be at risk of having high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases.

In children, there are varying opinions on the body mass index, but some define obesity as a body weight at least 20% higher than a healthy weight for a child of that age, or a body fat percentage above 25% in boys or above 32% in girls.
The Center for Disease Control defines obesity as a BMI greater than the 95th percentile. It has published tables for determining this in children.

Obesity is now among the most widespread medical problems facing children and adolescents in the United States. About 16% of adolescents aged 12 to 19 and children aged six to 11 are obese in the United States. It has a devastating affect on a child’s life and can increase the risk of a number of health problems, as wells as emotional and social problems. Obese children are also more likely to be obese as adults, which increases their risk of heart disease and stroke, as well as other serious health problems.


High Cholesterol
Hypertension
Respiratory Ailments
Orthopedic Problems
Depression
Type 2 Diabetes


Studies have shown that overweight adolescents have a 70% change of becoming overweight or obese adults, with the rate increasing to 80% if one or more parent is overweight or obese.

For more information on how to help your family stay fit, talk with Chris Keith at BOOTCAMP 619.