Childhood Obesity
Obesity in Teens and Pre-teens
Approximately 30% of children ages 6 to 11 are overweight and
15% are obese. For adolescents ages 12 to 19, 30% are overweight
and 15% are obese.
Excess weight in childhood and adolescence has been found to
predict overweight in adults. Overweight children with at least one
overweight or obese parent were reported to have a 79% likelihood
of overweight persisting into adulthood.
In addition to genetics, other factors contributing to obesity are:
· Lack of regular exercise
· Sedentary behavior (e.g., watching TV, sitting at the computer,
playing video games)
· Low family incomes and non-working parents
· Consuming high-calorie foods
· Eating when not hungry
· Eating while watching TV or doing homework
Treatment of Childhood Obesity
1. Physical Activity
Adopting a formal exercise program, or simply becoming more
active, is valuable to burn fat, increase energy expenditure, and
maintain lost weight. Most studies of children have not shown
exercise to be a successful strategy for weight loss unless coupled
with another intervention, such as nutrition education or behavior
modification. However, exercise has additional health benefits.
Even when children's body weight and fatness did not change
following 50 minutes of aerobic exercise three times per week,
blood lipid profiles and blood pressure did improve.
2. Diet Management
Fasting or extreme caloric restriction is not advisable for children.
Not only is this approach psychologically stressful, but it may
adversely affect growth and the child's perception of "normal"
eating. Balanced diets with moderate caloric restriction, especially
reduced dietary fat, have been used successfully in treating obesity.
Nutrition education may be necessary. Diet management coupled
with exercise is an effective treatment for childhood obesity.
3. Behavior Modification
Many behavioral strategies used with adults have been successfully
applied to children and adolescents: self-monitoring and recording
food intake and physical activity, slowing the rate of eating, limiting
the time and place of eating, and using rewards and incentives for
desirable behaviors. Particularly effective are behaviorally based
treatments that include parents.
What parents can do:
Approximately 30% of children ages 6 to 11 are overweight and
15% are obese. For adolescents ages 12 to 19, 30% are overweight
and 15% are obese.
Excess weight in childhood and adolescence has been found to
predict overweight in adults. Overweight children with at least one
overweight or obese parent were reported to have a 79% likelihood
of overweight persisting into adulthood.
In addition to genetics, other factors contributing to obesity are:
· Lack of regular exercise
· Sedentary behavior (e.g., watching TV, sitting at the computer,
playing video games)
· Low family incomes and non-working parents
· Consuming high-calorie foods
· Eating when not hungry
· Eating while watching TV or doing homework
Treatment of Childhood Obesity
1. Physical Activity
Adopting a formal exercise program, or simply becoming more
active, is valuable to burn fat, increase energy expenditure, and
maintain lost weight. Most studies of children have not shown
exercise to be a successful strategy for weight loss unless coupled
with another intervention, such as nutrition education or behavior
modification. However, exercise has additional health benefits.
Even when children's body weight and fatness did not change
following 50 minutes of aerobic exercise three times per week,
blood lipid profiles and blood pressure did improve.
2. Diet Management
Fasting or extreme caloric restriction is not advisable for children.
Not only is this approach psychologically stressful, but it may
adversely affect growth and the child's perception of "normal"
eating. Balanced diets with moderate caloric restriction, especially
reduced dietary fat, have been used successfully in treating obesity.
Nutrition education may be necessary. Diet management coupled
with exercise is an effective treatment for childhood obesity.
3. Behavior Modification
Many behavioral strategies used with adults have been successfully
applied to children and adolescents: self-monitoring and recording
food intake and physical activity, slowing the rate of eating, limiting
the time and place of eating, and using rewards and incentives for
desirable behaviors. Particularly effective are behaviorally based
treatments that include parents.
What parents can do:
- Let your child know he or she is loved and appreciated
whatever his or her weight - Focus on your child's health and positive qualities
- Develop and implement a plan to gradually change your
family's physical activity and eating habits - Let your child see you eating – and enjoying -- healthy foods
and physical activity - Plan family activities that provide everyone with exercise
and enjoyment (e.g., swimming, biking, skating, ball sports) - Reduce the amount of time you and your family spend in
sedentary activities (e.g., watching TV, video games) - Reduce the amount of “junk food” you will allow in the house,
instead plan for healthy snacks - Encourage your child to eat when hungry and to eat slowly
- Eat meals together as a family as often as possible
- Assign active chores to every family member such as
vacuuming, washing the car or mowing the lawn - Enroll your child in a structured activity that he or she enjoys
(e.g., tennis, gymnastics, martial arts) - Encourage your kids to join a sports team at school or in your
community - Don't place your child on a restrictive diet
- Avoid the use of food as a reward
- Avoid withholding food as punishment
- Encourage children to drink water rather than beverages
with added sugars (e.g., soft drinks, fruit juice drinks, and
sports drinks) - Stock the refrigerator with fresh fruit and vegetables
- Plan times when you prepare foods together
- Eat meals together at the dinner table at regular times
- Avoid rushing to finish meals
- Avoid serving large portions
- Avoid forcing your child to eat if he/she is not hungry
- Limit fast-food eating to no more than once per week
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