Childhood chubbiness is more than just a phase
Our whole family is big-boned... He’ll grow out of it... It's just baby fat... We’ve all heard a child’s chubbiness explained away with phrases like this. But while we may recognize chubbiness in small children, we’re only just beginning to recognize the health risk posed by childhood weight problems.
On the whole, kids are spending less time exercising and more time in front of the TV, computer, or video game console. And today's busy families have fewer free moments to prepare wholesome, home-cooked meals. And our children’s waistlines are showing the results.
Since the 1960s, the number of overweight kids and adolescents in the United States has nearly doubled. Today, 10% of children ages 2 to 5, and more than 15% of children ages 6 to 19, are overweight or obese. And that’s not all. “Studies show that overweight and obese adolescents have up to an 80% chance of becoming overweight and obese adults,” says Samuel Gidding, MD, pediatric cardiologist for the Virtua/duPont Children’s Health Program.
The experts weigh in
In response to this growing problem, the American Academy of Pediatrics recently issued recommendations to help physicians prevent, identify and treat children’s weight problems. Although most already track children’s height and weight, the new policy asks doctors to do so with obesity prevention in mind. Specifically, the Academy suggests a yearly measurement of body mass index (BMI) to help spot growth and weight gain that may lead to obesity.
“You probably have some idea of whether your child is overweight or even obese, but it’s a good idea to have a doctor make that determination,” says John Tedeschi, MD, chief of pediatrics for Virtua West Jersey Hospitals. “Children ranking higher than the 97th percentile for age are considered obese. Kids with a BMI score between the 85th and 97th percentile are considered overweight or at risk for becoming obese. And children who fall between the 5th and 85th percentile are considered normal weight,” he adds.
For example, a 13-year-old boy who's an average 5 feet 3 inches tall would rank as follows:
Above 141 pounds = obese
124 -141 pounds = overweight
88 - 123 pounds = normal weight
Below 88 pounds = underweight
Is your child overweight?
“If you're worried that your child or teen may be overweight, make an appointment with your child’s doctor to find out for sure,” advises Dr. Tedeschi. “And be sure to discuss diet and nutrition needs. In growing children, the best approach might not be immediate weight loss. Instead, your doctor might recommend decreasing the rate of weight gain as the child grows.”
Overcoming overweight and obesity in your own children means adapting the way you and your family eat and exercise. Ensuring that your children lead a healthy lifestyle begins with you, the parent, and leading by example.
The following tips will help you build good eating habits no matter what your child’s weight:
- Don't use food as a reward for good behavior. Come up with other solutions to modify behavior.
- Don't maintain a clean-plate policy. Encourage your child to eat only when hungry. If your child is overweight, he should eat 3 regular meals and one snack a day, no seconds.
- Don't talk about "bad foods" or eliminate all sweets and snacks. Instead, focus on adding healthy choices to your child's favorites and try to limit intake of drinks containing sugar (soda, juice, sports drinks) to one eight- to 12-ounce serving a day.
- Cut down on TV, computer and video game time. Discourage eating while watching the tube.
- Get creative. Let kids help with ideas for adding fruits and vegetables to their diet.
- Encourage exercise and physical activity. Help your children find a sport or activity they enjoy. And remember that a child who resists team sports might excel in martial arts or mountain biking.
- Take healthy habits on the road. Instead of outlawing fast food, steer kids toward healthy choices like grilled chicken sandwiches, pizza loaded with veggies and smaller servings.
To help kids lose weight and start a lifetime of healthy eating, Virtua offers Shapedown. This 10-week comprehensive weight management program is designed for children and teens ages 6 to 17. For more information, call 1-888-Virtua-3.