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Weight Loss – Child Obesity: Keep Kids Fit “n” Healthy

By Paul Stephen Lubicz – The Wellbeing Manager

The number of overweight and obese children in the U.K is growing at a phenomenal rate. On the whole, kids are spending less time playing outdoors and exercising and more time in front of the TV, computer, or a video game. In addition today's busy families have fewer free moments to prepare wholesome, home-cooked meals, day in and day out. From fast food to technology, quick and easy has become the mindset of many modern day people, young and old, in our modern era.

What has caused the increase in Childhood Obesity?

There are a number of accumulating factors that can cause obesity, as I mentioned before. If someone becomes overweight or obese, genetic factors, lifestyle habits, or both may be involved.

So when, the kids get home from school they end up plopped in front of the TV or wriggling a joystick, spending virtually all of their free time before dinner, doing homework, and getting ready for bed is spent in front of one screen or another! Much of what we eat is quick and easy - from fat-laden fast food to microwave and pre-packaged meals. Daily schedules are so jam-packed that there's little time to prepare healthier meals or to squeeze in some exercise. Portion sizes, in the home and out, have drastically increased.

What is Childhood Obesity?

There is no strict definition of what is overweight or obese, and height/weight charts are controversial. However, generally speaking, doctors define a child as obese when the total body weight is more than 25% fat in boys and 32% fat in girls.

The Effects of Overweight and Obesity

Not only are overweight and obese children at risk for serious health conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol - all once considered exclusively adult issues - they're also prone to low self-esteem that stems from being teased, bullied, or rejected by peers. Overweight children are often the last to be chosen as playmates, even as early as pre-school. They may also be more likely than average-weight children to develop unhealthy dieting habits and eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia, and they may be more prone to depression as well as substance abuse.

Is obesity a serious problem?

The number of obese children in the UK has risen during the past couple of decades and is beginning to be seen as a major problem by health experts. The rise in childhood obesity has happened for a number of reasons including the fact that children are spending less time in active play and more time watching television or playing computer or video games.

Parents, understandably worried about their children’s safety, are also tending to drive their children to school where once they might have allowed them to walk. Coupled with this is the fact that there are many more high fat, heavily promoted foods available than there were 20 years ago, many of which are targeted specifically at children.

Children who are obese are far more likely to become obese adults and therefore have a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and other serious illnesses in later life. Also, a child who is very overweight may face psychological problems as a result of being teased about their weight by other children. This can lead to low self-esteem. But childhood obesity does matter, it has adverse health implications both in the short term and the long term.

An adequate intake of calories is essential for children to grow healthily. As a parent it can be extremely difficult to know whether your child is eating too much and even harder to deny them the things which they enjoy. This article looks at the reasons why so many children are becoming seriously overweight and what parents can do to help them. There are exceptions, of course, like for those who are very muscular (because extra muscle adds to a person's body weight - but not fatness). It's important to remember that BMI is usually a good indicator - but is not a direct measurement - of body fat.

What Is the Body Mass Index?

BMI is a measurement derived from someone's weight and height. To determine BMI, the doctor divides the child's weight by his height squared, or wt/ht². (Important: To use this formula for BMI the child's weight and height measurements must be in kilos and metres, respectively. If you use pounds and inches, multiply the result by the conversion factor 703.) This calculation helps the doctor determine whether the child's weight is appropriate for height.

BMI was only recently recommended as an additional measurement of growth. Doctors have been using the weight for stature (height) charts to assess the appropriateness of a child's weight, but that measurement is of limited value because it can only be used in boys younger than 11.5 and girls younger than 10 years. Doctors have found BMI to be a better indicator of body "fatness" and potential weight problems. Although some doctors do not use it yet, as charts for BMI become more widespread, you may soon see it charted during visits to your child's doctor, if you do not already.

BMI is particularly helpful for identifying children and adolescents who are at risk for being overweight as they get older. In older children and teens, there is a strong correlation between BMI and the amount of body fat. Therefore, those with high BMI readings - and probably high levels of fat - are most likely to have weight problems when they are older. If doctors can identify these at-risk children early on, they can monitor their body fat more carefully and potentially prevent adult obesity through changes in eating and exercise habits.

Looking at the BMI Charts

The new BMI charts represent the most recently published (June 2000) standards for U.S. children. By plotting your child's measurements on these charts, doctors are able to compare your child's body mass index with data collected on thousands of U.S. children. Remember that only those measurements that are obtained in your child's doctor's office or taken by another properly skilled person should be plotted. Home measurements are frequently inaccurate, and because of the manner in which BMI is determined, a small error in measurement can result in a large error in the BMI result.

How can I help my child maintain a healthy weight?

There are lots of ways in which you can help your child and the good news is that all the evidence points to the fact that it is much easier to change a child’s eating and exercise habits than it is to alter an adult’s.

Establishing healthy eating and exercise habits when your child is young is the best way to try and avoid potential weight from problems as they grow older. In addition, studies show that breast feeding a baby, even if only for a short period, reduces the risk obesity in later life.

If you follow a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables and cut down on convenience foods, you set a good example for your toddler.

Avoid urging your child to clear their plate at mealtimes, rather let them learn to recognise for themselves when they have had enough to eat. People in the same family tend to have similar eating patterns, maintain the same levels of physical activity, and adopt the same attitudes toward being overweight. Studies have shown that a child's risk of obesity greatly increases if one or more parent is overweight or obese.

Should my child diet?

Because children are growing they need plenty of nutrients and so they should not be put on a weight-loss diet without medical advice. In particular, children should not be put on low-fat diets as this may affect their growth. Ask your doctor to refer you to a dietician who can advise you on the best plan for your child and monitor his or her progress.

What foods should my child eat?

If you are concerned about your child’s weight you should emphasise healthy, fresh nutritious foods in his or her diet. You don’t want to make your child miserable by denying them all their favourite snacks. Here are some tips that may help you strike a balance:

• Try substituting high-fat, calorie-laden foods such as chocolate, biscuits, cakes and crisps with healthier alternatives such as fresh fruit, crusty bread and crackers.
• Instead of chips fried in fat serve oven chips and try to grill or bake foods instead of frying. Foods such as burgers, fish fingers and sausages are just as tasty when grilled but have a lower fat content.
• If your child loves eating at fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s, don’t stop them going completely but try to cut down on the number of visits.
• Watch out for fizzy drinks such as lemonade, cola and orangeade as they contain high levels of sugar and calories. Try substituting fresh juices diluted with water or sugar-free alternatives.
• When you go food-shopping try to limit the amount of convenience foods and sugar-laden, high-fat snacks you buy. If this type of food is not in the house it’ll be easier for your child to resist it.
• To indulge your child’s sweet tooth offer healthier alternatives such as tinned or dried fruit instead of sweets, frozen yoghurt instead of ice-cream and bagels instead of doughnuts.
• Try to encourage your child to get involved in preparing meals. This will make them more aware of what they are eating.

How to improve your child’s eating patterns

If your child is seriously overweight there may be some aspects of their behaviour that need attention if they are to conquer the problem. The following tips may help your child to lose weight and to keep it off throughout adulthood:

• Keeping a food diary (i.e. writing down everything they eat in a day) may help older children become more aware of snacking and allow them to understand when this most happens and how to control it.
• Making meal times an occasion by sitting together at a table and eating as a family group as often as possible can help to prevent 'grazing' and snacking throughout the day.
• Eating more slowly is an old trick but it really can work. If you teach your child to chew their food more slowly and savour it they will begin to feel fuller more quickly and be less likely to overeat at mealtimes.
• Avoid using food as a reward for your child as they may start to see it as a source of comfort. For instance, instead of taking them out for a fast food meal to celebrate a good end of year school report, buy them a gift or take them to the cinema.
• Let your child know that you understand their desire to snack and eat more than they should of certain foods. Ask which distractions might help them to avoid reaching for food. In this way, your child will begin to problem-solve for themselves which will more likely lead to workable solution.

Can exercise help?

Regular exercise is a really useful way of helping your child control their weight. Exercising for about 30 minutes at least three times a week is ideal but even if your child is only active for 10 minutes more each day it will help. Here are some suggestions for you to try:

• Limit watching TV programmes to those they really enjoy. Perhaps limit the amount of computer or video games playing that is allowed in any given day or week too.
• Encourage your child to walk with you to places such as school or the shops rather than always jumping in the car.
• Suggest going to the park for a kick around with a football, game of rounders or cricket. Invite some of your child’s friends along too to make it more fun.
• Visit your local leisure centre and find out about sports that your child might be interested in. Let them try out different activities such as football, trampoline, badminton, tennis and gymnastics, until they find one that they enjoy.

Make exercise into a treat by taking your child for a special trip to the ice-skating rink or dry ski slope and join in with them. Invest in a bicycle for each member of the family so that you can all go out for rides together at weekends. Taking a picnic along will make it a fun (and inexpensive) day out. If your child is under 10 try visiting an indoor play area where they can run around, jump and play safely.

Before adopting any kind of diet or weight-loss plan, talk to your child's doctor, who may refer you to a registered dietician or a weight management program. Depending on the child's weight and age, the doctor or specialist may not emphasise immediate weight loss but may focus, instead, on decreasing the rate of weight gain as the child grows. If you're worried that your child or teen may be overweight, make an appointment with your family doctor to find out for sure. Your doctor will need to evaluate your child not only for obesity, but for the medical conditions that can be associated with obesity.

Positive Future for Family Health

Although it takes work to help an overweight child to reach an appropriate weight, it will stand them in good stead to a healthy future. Overcoming overweight and obesity in your own children means adapting the way you and your family eat and exercise and the way you spend time together. Ensuring that your children lead a healthy lifestyle begins with you, the parent, and leading by example.