Saving our Kids from Obesity

January is Health Weight Awareness Month in America. While obesity is prevalent in adults of all ages, we are failing the adults of the future if we do not recognize and address the problem as it exists in our children. It is to that end this article focuses solely on how to address and prevent obesity in childhood.

Good Eating Habits Begin in Infancy

Even before solid foods are introduced, usually around six months of age, parents need to know that both bottle and breast-fed babies can eat more than needed. In those early months when the infant may be colicky or just plain bored, anxious mothers are quick to feed “just a little more” to soothe the baby.

Delaying the introduction of solid foods is also advisable. In their quest to get a full night sleep, mothers often begin feeding cereal to their infant by the age of three months. By adding it to their formula, the infant hungrily consumes it thereby giving Mom a reason to believe her little one will sleep longer before wanting to eat again.

This practice can sometimes work as planned, but often the baby’s stomach is not yet ready for cereal and the extra sleep Mom had planned on is spent rocking a baby who wakes up with a tummy ache.

The Care and Feeding of Pre-schoolers

After they reach the age of two, health professionals give a green light to switching from whole milk to skim or low-fat milk. The fats they needed prior to this age are no longer essential.

In the pre-school years, it is not uncommon for parents and caregivers to address problems such as stubbornness or tantrums by using food as bribes or rewards. “Be good now and I’ll let you have a bowl of ice cream.” The use of a favorite snack to comfort them when ill or sad seems like a kindness, but is it really? Food should never be used as a crutch as it will start our children on the road to obesity!

Pre-schoolers are one of the easiest groups of people to educate about healthy eating. Children who have never been exposed to daily snacks of potato chips, candy, soda pop, and “Happy Meal” treats, do not miss them! Introducing toddlers to healthy treats such as apple slices, raisons, yogurt and grapes will go a long way towards keeping them fit and trim as they get older and make food decisions for themselves.

Many elementary schools also have learned the importance of quality food for our youngsters. Before those little ones begin school and especially if they are going to be eating in the cafeteria, be sure to get information on the school lunch program to insure the menu choices are healthy. If upon checking you believe changes or additions need to be made, speak up. The only people who cannot effect change are those who say nothing!

Help, My Child is Overweight!

It’s always easier to prevent a problem than to fix one, but a problem recognized is a problem half solved to my way of looking at it. Sadly, obesity in children is a real problem, primarily in the more culturally advanced countries such as the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, etc. In our abundance of food available, many of us simply do not know how to push that chair away from the table.

In many homes, time spent around the table is the only time the family is together as a whole. So while they talk about their day and highlight their hopes and dreams for tomorrow, they eat the pie and ice cream as well.

The percentage of children found to be overweight has risen to a staggering 30%...a figure the American Academy of Pediatrics would term “epidemic.” It has been determined that once a child reaches the tender age of six, if overweight, it is likely that obesity will persist in more than 50% of them as they grow up. Worse yet, 70-80% of those who are still overweight as teenagers, will likely remain so as adults!

Medical Consequences of Obesity in Children

The down side to being overweight in childhood is serious and can pose lifelong problems. Among these are:
• Moderate to severe asthma
• Type 2 Diabetes (13 times more likely than non-obese peers)
• High blood pressure (9 times more likely than non-obese peers)
• Bone and cartilage problems
• Psychological problems (depression, low self-esteem, withdrawal)
• Skin disorders
• Sleep Apnea (in 7% of obese)

How Can We Help?

Children of all ages need limits set on inactivity. Between video games (educational or otherwise) and a lack of exercise, parents often feel powerless to direct their youngsters into more positive habits.

Having “weight awareness” is said to offer the best hope for preventing the progression of overweight children becoming overweight adults. There are a lot of negatives in the life of a child who is significantly overweight. They may typically not be chosen to team up with other children in gym class; be made fun of in the cafeteria; play the part of “class clown” to feel accepted, etc.

The best time to instill weight awareness, of course, is when children are still very young and most receptive to what they are taught. For this reason, healthy attitudes towards eating and exercise stick best when formed early, as in the pre-school ages.

For children who are already overweight and headed down the wrong road, it is vital for all caregivers to show a very positive attitude and set “baby steps” to achieve changes in diet and exercise with the realization that behavior modification results only from long term regular repetition of what is beneficial.

Above all, stay positive, keep smiling and celebrate every success your child experiences in the war against fat!