Recommendations for overweight eaters
One of the most important issues facing us today is how to obtain and
maintain a reasonable weight for height. Obesity is a very serious health
problem, and it is happening to more and more children and adolescents. People
who are overweight and/or obese are much more likely to have high blood
pressure, diabetes, heart disease, breathing problems and difficulty sleeping.
Additionally, children can have problems with bone, hip and knee pain. They also
often have issues with their self-esteem.
By measuring a child's weight and height and plotting this information on a
standardized growth chart, it is possible to track your child's growth. If the
rate of weight gain is faster than height gain this may lead to overweight. When
"overweight" becomes more severe, it is defined as "obesity."
The best time to make changes in your child's eating and activity is as soon
as you or your health care professional notice excessive rates of weight gain.
The sooner that better habits can be established, so much the the better. Often
parents think their child will outgrow the extra pounds. While that may have
been the case in the past, it is not true now. Most children who are overweight
at a young age remain overweight for their entire lives.
Factors that apparently contribute to the obesity epidemic are these:
children having too much screen time (TV, videos, computers), larger portion
sizes, more meals eaten away from home, fewer gym classes and sports
opportunities, less time to play outside, parents who are less able to monitor
what is eaten. The best way to make changes towards a healthier lifestyle is to
involve the whole family.