Battle the bulge

Parents often don’t realize their kids are overweight, studies show

By Nita Shumaker, MD

Is your child overweight—or even obese? Childhood weight problems are reaching crisis proportions, yet studies show that parents frequently don’t realize their children are overweight.

Tennessee ranks in the top five states in the nation for childhood obesity, with 20 percent of youths aged 10 to 17 overweight or obese. Moreover, the majority of American adults are struggling with their own weight issues—and influencing their children to continue the cycle of obesity.

Weighed down

Obese and overweight children fatigue more quickly during exercise and may have an increased risk of asthma. While still young, they risk developing cholesterol problems, high blood pressure and diabetes. They also must deal with the psychological effects and social implications of being larger than their peers.

Studies show that obese children become obese adults. As such, they risk development of heart disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, liver disease and an increased risk of cancer and joint problems later in life.

Five tips to lighten up

Here are some tips for helping your child maintain a healthy weight:

1. Provide healthy choices. Buy fewer processed foods that contain high calories, chemicals and preservatives. Keep more fresh fruits and vegetables on hand. If children are hungry, they will eat what’s available.
2. Watch your child’s portions. Nutrition guidelines say children need three to four servings of dairy a day for calcium. What is one serving of dairy? One serving is a cup (8 ounces) of milk or yogurt, one slice of real cheese or one scoop of ice cream. After a child eats the recommended three to four servings, more dairy servings are too much. The guidelines also recommend only three ounces of whole wheat bread and allow another three ounces of non-whole wheat.
3. Insist on sports participation year-round, if feasible. Sports help children stay active, learn valuable social skills and keep busy during afternoon hours when parents may not be at home. If sports participation is not an option, place a pedometer (a small device that measures steps) on your child’s waistband for a few days. The pedometer is a great way to measure physical activity, especially for the less active child. Just like adults, children need 10,000 steps a day to stay healthy.
4. Limit electronic activities. Current guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics encourage parents to limit TV time to two hours a day. Parents should consider including all electronics in those two hours. After your child has participated in electronic activity for two hours, turn off these devices and encourage your child to go outside to play.
5. Consult a body mass index, or BMI, calculator to help determine your child’s risk of being overweight or obese. While not perfect, the calculator is a valuable tool to help determine if your child needs to lose weight. You can find an online BMI calculator for children at the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC.gov. (Click on “body mass index” in the A–Z index at the top of the CDC home page.) General rule: If a child’s BMI is greater than 25, the child is overweight. If a child’s BMI is greater than 30, the child is considered obese and at risk for multiple medical problems both now and in the future. Be sure to talk to your child’s pediatrician for further help.

author bio:

Nita Shumaker, MD, Erlanger chief of staff, is a pediatrician with the Galen Medical Group. She is also a clinical instructor of pediatrics with the UT College of Medicine Chattanooga. For more information, call Erlanger’s physician referral line at 778-LINK (5465).