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Safe Weight Loss for Overweight Kids

by Brandon on Sat Jan 28, 2012 1:10 am
If you're trying to help your overweight child lose weight safely, you have to ignore the popular diet books -- and sometimes your own instincts. Although you might be inclined to put your child on a diet, experts generally say that's not the best approach.

Instead, it's best to stick with what's been shown to work in scientific studies, says Dan Kirschenbaum, PhD, an obesity expert and professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Northwestern University.

To help an overweight child, you can begin with small changes to your family's diet and lifestyle to make it healthier for everyone. The steps below start with small choices based on guidelines developed by experts from the CDC, the Health Resources and Service Administration, and the American Medical Association and reviewed by 15 other professional organizations.

Start by choosing one or two steps and working your way gradually into a healthier lifestyle.Also, talk to your child's health care provider to obtain goals or guidance on an ideal/target weight.

For younger kids and kids who still have a lot of growing to do, aim to maintain your child's weight rather than lose weight.This will allow your young overweight child to grow into her weight. Cutting back calories in growing children in order to drop pounds is not a good idea unless advised by your child's health care provider.

Help the whole family embrace a healthier lifestyle.Be a cheerleader for your family. Keep it fun, enjoyable, and positive. Then find a co-cheerleader -- your mate or your child -- to help you keep up your family's motivation. You can provide valuable positive energy on your own, but the more the merrier.

Eat at the table.Although it's tempting to eat in front of the TV or have family members eat on their own schedule, try to carve out time to eat together at the table at least five or six times per week. A study showed that kids who ate most of their meals with their family were less likely to be overweight.

Focus on vegetables and fruits.Track how many servings of veggies and fruits your overweight child eats. Your ultimate goal should be your child eating five or more servings a day. An easy way to encourage your child to eat vegetables and fruits is to make them more visible. Put apples and oranges in a bowl on the table. Or put washed, cut, bite-sized veggies with a healthy dip on a plate covered with clear plastic wrap in the fridge.

Eliminate sugared beverages such as soda, sports drinks, and fruit punch.To help your family make this transition, have each family member start every meal with a glass of water. It may take time to get out of the habit of having sugary drinks every day. If they normally drink four sugary drinks a day, try switching to three a day for a week. Then cut back to two drinks a day the next week, and so on.
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Weight Loss for Kids

by Brandon on Sat Jan 28, 2012 1:00 am
If you want to help your child lose weight, the best approach varies a bit depending on her age. Here are some specific tips for parents of overweight kids ranging from age 5 to 12.

Remember to schedule annual well child visits with your child's pediatrician. At those visits, the pediatrician will track your child's growth, both weight and height, and make suggestions for a healthier lifestyle.

Tips for Parents of Overweight Kids, Age 5 to 6 Goal: Weight maintenance For most overweight children aged 5 to 6, the goal is to help your child maintain his weight for a while, not necessarily achieve weight loss. In most cases, if you can keep your child's weight steady, he will grow into it.

What to Do: Own your child's menu.Helping your child maintain his weight will require effort and lifestyle changes on your part and his. For instance, you may decide to cut back or eliminate certain types of foods -- especially beverages with sugar in them (such as sodas and juice drinks) and fast food -- and processed, high-calorie snacks (such as packaged baked goods and chips).

As a parent, you have control. If you start cooking healthier meals at home -- and visiting restaurants less often -- your kids will naturally eat healthier, says Karen Donato, SM, coordinator of overweight and obesity research applications at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

Another place to pay close attention is to what's being served at school for lunch. If the choices don't seem healthy, pack healthier options in your child's lunch box.

Guidance: Be patient, but persistent.These changes may not always be easy on your child. If your overweight child is refusing healthy foods, don't demand that he eat them. Be patient, and just keep serving them. Studies show that kids need to be exposed to a new food several times before they might try it.

It may help to remember that any tears or frustration now will mean fewer tears and less frustration when your child is older and at a healthy weight.

Tips for Parents of Overweight Kids, Age 7 to 9 Goal: Weight maintenanceFor an overweight child aged 7 to 9, the goal is usually to help her maintain her weight, not necessarily achieve weight loss. In most cases, if you can keep your child's weight steady for a while, she will grow into it.

What to Do: Take charge of food in the house.Helping your child maintain her weight will require effort from both of you. As the parent, your first step is to take responsibility for stocking your home with only healthy foods.

At age 7 to 9, your overweight child now has more independence and might be helping herself to her own snacks at home. This means that if you don't stock your pantry with unhealthy foods, she won't have easy access to eat them, says Lawrence Cheskin, MD, director of the Johns Hopkins Weight Management Center in Baltimore.
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Talking to Your Pediatrician

by Brandon on Fri Jan 27, 2012 10:59 pm
Childhood obesity is a difficult subject to tackle for parent and pediatrician alike. As a parent, you may feel embarrassed or guilty if your child is struggling with weight issues -- especially if you are overweight yourself. Or you assume that your kid's doctor will tell you if there is a concern.

Unfortunately, that may not happen. Studies show that sometimes pediatricians don't bring up weight issues. Some say they worry about insulting parents. Time concerns are also a factor, and some doctors just don't feel prepared to help.

Today, 17% of kids aged 2 through 19 are overweight -- and those numbers keep growing at an alarming rate. While it may not be easy, talking with your kid's doctor may be an important first step toward protecting your child's health.

What You Need to Know About Childhood Obesity Being overweight isn't something that your child can overcome on her own. She needs your guidance to help her overcome powerful social pressures to be sedentary and eat high-fat foods.

Being overweight tends to run in families. A child with two overweight parents is 80% more likely to be overweight herself. So if you are overweight, your child is also at risk.

Plus, being an overweight child can have serious consequences, even at a young age.

Being overweight sets kids up to be overweight adults. And when you're an overweight adult, extra pounds increase your risk for bone and joint problems, sleep problems, asthma, certain cancers, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

Problems once only seen in adults are now seen in kids. Alarmingly, many of the weight-related health problems listed above for adults are also showing up in overweight children. For instance, 70% of obese children have at least one risk factor for heart disease.

Kids who are overweight are more at risk for being teased or bullied. This can lead to a realm of problems from social isolation to lower grades to a poor sense of self -- issues that can last into adulthood.



How to Bring Up Your Child's Weight: Questions to Ask When you see your child's pediatrician, here are some questions you can ask to get the conversation started.

Is my child's weight in the right range for his age and height" Should I be concerned about my child's size" The pediatrician will assess your child's weight by using his height and weight to calculate his body mass index (BMI). The doctor will also calculate your child's BMI percentile, which compares him to other kids his age and gender. That BMI percentile places your child in a weight range: underweight, healthy weight, overweight, or obese.

But BMI is just a piece of the picture. The pediatrician will also ask you about your weight history as well your mate's, both parents' heights, your family health history, and your family eating and exercise habits. Your child's health care provider uses all this information to decide what to do next if your child's weight is outside the healthy range.
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