Some Facts

• Over the past two decades, the prevalence of overweight children has nearly tripled; today, one in seven US children is overweight or obese.
• Overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults, and this risk increases to 80% if a parent is overweight or obese.

The good news is that there are simple steps you can take to encourage and assist your child to adopt healthy eating and exercise habits when they are young – habits that can prevent health complications and promote healthy behaviors that last a lifetime.

Contributing Factors
While genetic factors do account for some incidences of overweight and obesity, the majority of new cases can be attributed to behavioral and environmental factors including unhealthy eating habits and lack of physical activity in children.

In general, our lifestyles have become very sedentary. On average, 43% of children watch over two hours of television every day. A combination of inactivity and excess consumption of calories is the leading cause of weight gain in children.

Bringing these two factors, calorie consumption and physical activity, into balance is the most effective way to control your child’s weight.

Strategies that Work

• Ensure that nutritious, low fat snacks are available for children to eat. Experiment with new recipes that cut calories and fat from traditional sweet treats.
• 5-a-Day! Make sure children eat ample servings of fruits and vegetables. Not only are these filling, low-fat alternatives to chips and cookies, but they also provide essential vitamins and minerals.
• Rather than dictating food choices, involve your children in shopping and meal planning.
• Set limits on the amount of time your child is allowed to spend in front of the television, video games, or computer.
• Avoid the use of food as a reward, or withholding food as a punishment. This can cause children to develop negative associations with food.
• Weight control must be considered a lifelong effort: focus on pattern setting and positive lifestyle changes.
• Crash diets and diet pills are not recommended; they can compromise the health and growth of a child. Any weight loss program should be gradual and should be supervised by a physician.
• Remember that many overweight children are still growing and may not need to lose much weight. Instead, they may simply need to limit their rate of weight gain so that they can “grow into” their weight.
• Children need about 60 minutes of exercise each day, but this does not need to be all at once; short exercise breaks of 10-15 minutes throughout the day are just as good!

Consequences
Overweight and obesity in children is a complex problem that can have serious physical, social, and emotional consequences.

At a time in their lives when image, appearance, and acceptance are very important to most children, being overweight may lead to issues of low self-confidence, low self-esteem, or inability to participate in certain activities because of health concerns.

Overweight and obese children are experiencing an alarming increase of Type 2 diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and liver disease. Being overweight can lead to orthopedic and development problems, and sleep apnea – a common problem associated with obesity – can cause difficulties with learning and memory.

Change is Good!
Most incidences of overweight and obesity in children are reversible and easily combated through simple lifestyle changes that are a smart idea for the whole family!

For more information on resources and upcoming programs at Salem Hospital, please call (503) 561-5639.

Sources
Schwimmer, et al. Health Related Quality of Life of Severely Obese Children and Adolescents. JAMA. 2003; 289: 1813-1819.
The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent and Decrease Overweight & Obesity, 2001.