Childhood Obesity and Overweight Teens & Kids

Obesity in kids has reached epidemic levels. Experts estimate that 15% of kids are overweight and another 15% are at risk of becoming overweight. And two thirds of these overweight kids will become overweight adults. Learn to prevent obesity and help your kids stay at a more healthy weight.

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1) Do you know if your child overweight?

a) Yes        b) Yes, a little      c) No       d) I don't know

Parenting Tips

Email your parenting tips for coping with common issues and problems that come with parenting an overweight child. How do you encourage your child to eat a healthy diet, avoid junk food, and exercise? What works for you?

Childhood Obesity

With the rise in childhood obesity, preventing childhood obesity is an important goal for all parents. Also learn how to help your overweight child lose weight through increased physical activity, healthy nutrition, and avoiding other risk factors for obesity.

Health Effects of Childhood Obesity

In addition to leading to poor self-esteem, the health effects of childhood obesity includes many diseases that were once thought to only affect overweight adults, such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.

Childhood Obesity - Child Obesity Statistics

Understanding the actual statistics behind the number of overweight children and other important childhood obesity statistics may help you with your overweight child. It can also help your child who is at a healthy weight stay at a healthy weight.

Parents often wonder if their children are overweight, underweight or just right. Using a body mass index calculator, you can figure out if your child is at an appropriate weight for his or her height.

Who's to Blame for Childhood Obesity?

Obesity in kids is a new epidemic. Who's to blame? Fast food? TV? Soft Drinks? Snacks? Video Games? You?

Being Sensible...

While most children should not be put on a severely restricted diet, a combined approach of sensible nutrition and regular exercise can help to control weight gain.

Obese Children and Teens

 While many parents ignore obesity in the early years of life, an obese child (over the age of 4 years) should raise the red flag for caregivers. At times being moderately overweight could be attributed to medical conditions like hypothyroidism but if these conditions are excluded, then the problem lies with incorrect eating habits and/or a lack of activity.

Parents have to take responsibility for their children’s behaviour – both in terms of diet and exercise. Unfortunately, many parents encourage incorrect eating habits in their children either by their own poor diet, preparing the ‘wrong’ foods or giving their children ‘junk food’  as a means of compensating for a lack of attention.

Apart from the health risks, obese children are unable to partake in the same physical activities as other kids and experience difficulty with social interaction. This ultimately affects the child’s personality and even their academic performance as they are reluctant to attend school.

If left uncorrected, the problem compounds and ultimately leads to obesity in the teen years. At this stage in life, obesity can be extremely detrimental for your child’s emotional welfare. As a teen, your child becomes more aware about their body and may develop a host of psychosocial problems which could have devastating results.

Treating Childhood Obesity

The first step to treating childhood obesity is correcting the parent’s attitude towards weight management problems. Many parents tend to pacify their children by telling them that they will ‘outgrow the fat’. This is a dangerous practice as your child does not learn to take responsibility for their problem.

Secondly parents have to educate themselves about good nutrition and practice proper eating habits themselves. Children learn by watching the adults around them and if parents do not eat a healthy diet, a child will not correct their eating habits. If parents are aware about proper nutrition, they can ultimately teach their children how to eat healthy.

Another growing problem is that some parents are ‘fat feeders’. They shower their children with junk food as a means of placating them, either for a lack of attention or other social problems existing within the environment. This just breeds a generation of ‘comfort eaters’ who believe that overindulging in junk food will make them feel better.

Physical activity is an essential part of weight management. Apart from partaking in sports, children should be encouraged to play and be active. Long hours in front of the television, computer use and video games play a big part in childhood obesity. While these activities should not be banned, it should be regulated by the parents. Children are only interested in satisfying themselves with a tool that is at their disposal. If parents do not encourage physical activity or provide the facilities, children will opt for more sedentary past times.

Allowing your child to remain overweight or obese in childhood determines their health status in adulthood. The rising incidence of diabetes, hypertension and heart disease, especially in young adults, can often be linked to a poor knowledge about food and exercise from childhood. Proper eating and healthy living should be taught in childhood and it is the responsibility of parents to educate themselves first and then their children.

Help kids stay active.

* Put an hour of physical activity into your child’s day. Just like eating and sleeping, physical activity should be a regular part of a child’s day. Add physical activity to your own daily habits and invite your child to join you. Guidelines suggest that school-age youth should participate in 60 minutes of moderate physical activity each day. Plan fun family activities that give everyone exercise. It does not have to be 60 minutes all at once, but can be different activities that add up to an hour’s time including unconstructive natural play outdoors.

 * Limit TV and other screen time to less than two hours per day. As a parent or caregiver, you set the rules that include when and how long your children can watch TV and DVDs and play video games. Limit the time to less than two hours per day that you and your family do these things. To help— keep televisions out of children’s rooms.

Encourage healthy eating habits.

* Shop, cook, and plan for healthy meals. Use a menu planner for healthy meals all week. Buy healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables and whole grain products. Read the nutrition facts label on packages to help you to make healthful choices. Make sure children have three healthy meals each day. Give children fat-free or low fat milk instead of soft drinks. Encourage children to drink water instead of sweet drinks. Limit the amount of sugar and saturated fat they eat.

* Make sure your child eats a healthy breakfast everyday. A healthy breakfast is a good way to start the day, and it may help people get to and stay at a healthy weight. Instead of sugared cereals, try eating whole-grain cereal with low-fat or fat-free milk, oatmeal, whole-grain toast, or a hard-boiled egg and a piece of fruit.

 * Sit at the table and eat together as a family. Research shows that when a family eats together, children eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer fried and junk foods. Plan and make healthy, affordable, family meals. Keep the television off and sit at the table and enjoy talking together.

 * Know how much food to serve your child. Larger portions (servings) lead to more food being eaten. Know when servings are larger than needed and teach your children to eat only what they need at each meal. The more you know about serving sizes, the more you will be able to help your child learn to serve themselves a healthy amount of food.

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Promote healthy choices.

* Make sure your child gets enough sleep each night. Less sleep can increase a child’s risk of being overweight or obese. A recent study found that with each extra hour of sleep, the risk of a child’s being overweight or obese dropped by 9 percent. Most children under age 5 need to sleep for 11 hours or more per day, children age 5 to 10 need 10 hours of sleep or more per day, and children over age 10 need at least 9 hours per day.

 * Help your child understand why you are making these changes. Children need support and encouragement from their parents. This is really important when things are changing, even when the changes are for their health. Children may see the loss of favorite snacks, or changes in TV watching, as punishment. Make sure that they know that the whole family is making these changes together. Let them play a part in these changes whenever you can by helping to shop for healthy foods, preparing meals, setting the table, and being a part of family talk at mealtimes. Let them choose and lead family activities, and let them be the “coach.” Remember that change can be a source of stress. Knowing that you love them is their source of strength.

Leading by Example...

Many kids are spending less time exercising and more time in front of the TV, computer, or video-game console. And today's busy families have fewer free moments to prepare nutritious, home-cooked meals. From fast food to electronics, quick and easy is the reality for many people in the new millennium.

Preventing kids from becoming overweight means adapting the way your family eats and exercises, and how you spend time together. Helping kids lead healthy lifestyles begins with parents who lead by example.

Is Your Child Overweight?

Body mass index (BMI) uses height and weight measurements to estimate how much body fat a person has. To calculate BMI, divide weight in kg by height in meters squared.

An easier way to measure BMI is to use a BMI calculator. Once you know your child's BMI, it can be plotted on a standard BMI chart. Kids also fall into one of four categories:

1. underweight

2. normal weight

3. overweight

4. obese

BMI is not a perfect measure of body fat and can be misleading in some situations. For example, a muscular person may have a high BMI without being overweight (because extra muscle adds to a body weight — but not fatness). In addition, BMI may be difficult to interpret during puberty when kids are experiencing periods of rapid growth. It's important to remember that BMI is usually a good indicator — but is not a direct measurement — of body fat.

 If you're worried that your child or teen may be overweight, make an appointment with your doctor, who can assess eating and activity habits and make suggestions on how to make positive changes. The doctor may also decide to screen for some of the medical conditions that can be associated with obesity.

Depending on your child's BMI, age, and health, the doctor may refer you to a registered dietician for additional advice and, possibly, may recommend a comprehensive weight management program.

Why play sports? You might say "to get exercise" and you'd be right. To have fun? That's true, too. But there's more. In fact, there are at least 5 more reasons.

1. Children who play sports do better in school. You might think that athletics will take up all your study time. But research shows that children who play sports do better in school than those who don't. Exercise improves learning, memory, and concentration, which can give active children an advantage in the classroom.

2. Children who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills. Sports teaches valuable life skills. When you working with coaches, trainers, and teammates to win games and achieve goals, you're learning how to be successful. Those skills will serve you well at work and in family life.

3. Sports are good for a child's health. In addition to being fit and maintaining a healthy weight, children who play sports are also less likely to smoke.

4. Playing sports boosts self-confidence. Children who play sports feel better about themselves. Why? It builds confidence when you know you can practice, improve, and achieve your goals. Sports are also a feel-good activity because they help children get in shape, maintain a healthy weight, and make new friends.

5. Exercise cuts the pressure. Playing sports can lessen stress and help you feel a little happier. How? The brain chemicals released during exercise improve a person's mood. Friends are another mood-lifter. And being on a team creates tight bonds between friends. It's good to know your teammates will support you — both on and off the field!

The Dental Bootcamp

Are your kids ready for the challenge?

We only get one set of adult teeth to last us our whole lives – they help us eat, speak and smile and we’d be lost without them. We all know about brushing our teeth to keep them healthy but there’s a lot more we can do as part of our daily routine to help keep our teeth strong and healthy.

This Dental Bootcamp will give kids the basic training they need to look after their teeth and understand what’s good for them and what they should avoid.

# 1: Basic Training: Brushing

Sounds like a ‘no brainer’ but you’d be surprised how often kids (and adults!) get this one wrong. Did you know that it takes two to three minutes to properly brush your teeth but most people only spend 30 seconds or less.

# 2:Advanced Training: Flossing

Once any two of your child's teeth touch each other, it's time to start flossing. The tiny gaps between teeth that a toothbrush can’t reach make a perfect hiding place for food particles and bacteria.

# 3: Special Operations: Tongue Cleaning

While brushing and flossing remove bacteria from teeth and gums, as much as 50% of the bacteria in the mouth live on the surface of our tongue. And it’s these bacteria in particular that can be one cause of bad breath.

# 4:Basic Rations: Tooth-friendly foods

Most people think that sweets and lollies are the main foods to blame for tooth decay but bacteria not only use the sugar in sweets to create acid but can also use any food that contains sugars and other carbohydrates.

# 5:Survival Techniques : Drink smart

Most kids can’t resist a cold sparkling can of drink. ; and the occasional one isn’t going to do too much harm. However, most kids drink more than the occasional can of pop. And what’s more, they drink it throughout the day, which makes it more damaging.

# 6:Maintaining Your Kit: Toothbrushes

Your toothbrush is the main weapon against tooth-decay-causing bacteria and it should be kept in good working order at all times.

# 7:Graduation : Visit your dentist

The last step is one that can easily be forgotten or postponed but is essential in maintaining healthy teeth and gums. If your child hasn’t seen a dentist in over twelve months – book them in for a check up and clean and polish.

 Toxic friends…. You know, the ones who are constantly negative and draining you.

Solution: make less contact with fewer sms’es, calls, visits and do other positive things with your time.

The laundry mountain… it piles up quickly and causes clutter.

Solution: stay disciplined and in routine, this way it wont get out of hand.  Schedule a weekly wash routine.

Bad Time management… always trying to do a bit here and a bit there in a hope to get it all done sooner?

Solution: don’t multitask, simply concentrate on one task at a time.  Get it done and move onto the next task, this way you will feel like you are accomplishing something.

Clutter….we have all had some sort of clutter in one or more areas of our life.

Solution: Deal with clutter immediately as this will help increase your energy levels. See our Fridge Padz solutions.  Clutter can be dealt with like this 1) things to throw out 2) things to donate 3) things to use/repair.  Deal with post and emails as it arrives.  This will help reduce mail clutter.

Too much caffeine…caffeine gives a short term energy boost but causes your blood sugar levels to drop later.

Solution: opt for drinking caffeine-free tea or green tea

Too much sugar… sugar has a high glycemic index so you will feel hungry and tired sooner.

Solution: try eating more fresh fruit during the day.

Life is tough and life is busy. Not everyone has the time to spend hours on their health every day. Not if you work ten hours a day, have three kids and still have to deal with your mother-in-law living in the granny flat.
It doesn't have to take hours and hours. In just a few minutes a day you can make sure that the basics are looked after.

An apple a day. Your body needs fruit and vegetables every day. . Keep some apples or bananas at work and get into a habit of nibbling them rather than eating chips off the trolley.

Caffeine. Watch those endless bottomless cups of coffee. A cup or two can do little harm, but when you start doing four or five, it could wreak havoc with your blood pressure and sleeping patterns.

Cheers. Have a drink or two, but having more on a regular basis is simply not good for you. It dehydrates you and depletes your body's vitamin reserves. Never drink on an empty stomach. And make it a rule to drink a glass of water for every drink you've had. Your liver will be very grateful.

Walk, don't ride. If it's six blocks to work, get into a habit of walking. If that's not possible, get into a habit of climbing a few floors to work rather than taking the lift. Don't drive to the shop on the corner, take a walk.

Get a rage outlet. Life can be frustrating and every now and then you could feel like you're going to explode. Rather than take it out on your family or on colleagues or other moto rists, go running. Or go to the gym or take up kickboxing. Anything to get the juices flowing.

Be a quitter. If you smoke, chances are high you will either get lung cancer or emphysema. Don't do this to yourself and your family. Nicotine is one of the most powerful addictive substances around. This is the reason why it is difficult to quit. Do whatever it takes.

One for the road. Not a good idea. A major portion of road accidents and injuries can be ascribed to drinking and driving. Even if you don't get injured, think of how difficult it may be to live with the consequences of injuring someone else.

Don't harbour grudges. If you have things eating at you, keeping you awake at night and absorbing your energy, do something about them. Talk to someone - it won't kill you to see a therapist - and get rid of these feelings before they turn inwards and do real damage to your insides. Prolonged unhappiness or depression is often a precursor to serious illness.

Get enough sleep. Sometimes this is not possible, but make a point of trying to go to bed at more or less the same time every night. Your body likes routine and will reward you for it. Most people need about seven hours in order to function properly.

Glug, glug, glug. Make sure you stay properly hydrated by drinking water and other drinks throughout the day. But let thirst be your guide - drinking too much water can actually do more harm than good by flushing important nutrients from your system.

1. Water, water, water.  Keep yourself hydrated as this will help speed up your metabolism.
2. Have 6 smaller meals in stead of 3 square meals per day.
3. Add some essential fatty acids to your diet.
4. Fiber will fill you up so eat more fiber.
5. Make sure you get your daily intake of vitamins and minerals.
6. Don’t go past the point of hunger. Eat every 2-3 hours.
7. Eat more lean protein like fish and chicken.
8. Cut down on white sugar as this affects your metabolism.
9. Eat more complex carbohydrates found in fruit and vegetables.
10. Try and eat your high glycemic index food in moderation.

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