CHILD OBESITY

Easier to Prevent Than to Treat: Things to Do NOW!

Obesity has tripled over the last three decades. With nearly half of adults and thirty percent of our children overweight or obese, we can no longer afford to live in denial about the cause of obesity and it’s myths. We can’t close our eyes to the overwhelming number of children that are affected by obesity.

Obesity has tripled over the last three decades. With nearly half of adults and thirty percent of our children overweight or obese, we can no longer afford to live in denial about the cause of obesity and it’s myths. We can’t close our eyes to the overwhelming number of children that are affected by obesity.

The consequences of obesity are real and will last throughout a child’s lifetime. In addition to increasing the risk an obese child will be an obese adult, childhood obesity is the leading cause of pediatric hypertension, and is associated with Type II diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease, stress on the weight-bearing joints, lower self-esteem and negatively affects relationships with peers. Some authorities feel that these social and psychological problems are the most significant consequences of obesity in children.

What has changed in the last thirty years?

For the first time in history, our children are faced with the real possibility of having a shorter lifespan than their parents," says Michelle Murphy Zive, MS, RD, Executive Director of the Network for a Healthy California. "It's imperative we go to the heart of the obesity problem and do something about it.

"The heart or basic cause of obesity is simple. We take in more calories than we burn. As parents we need to control calories in order to have a better diet at home and help children consume less calories than they're eating.

Below are rules to follow to help you protect your children from growing up with overweight problems:

1- During the first 6 months exclusively breastfeed your baby. At the start, feed every 3 to 4 hours for 10 minutes on each breast. Get help to feed your baby breast milk even if you have to return to work.

2- Learn how to interpret weight and height growth charts for your baby. Watch for signs of normal growth, and pick up on too rapid increases in weight, or not enough increase in weight compared to length. Discuss your findings with your health care provider.

3- Prepare meals at home at 5 to 6 months of age rather than using store bought processed baby foods with added unneeded sugar or restaurant’s fast food.

4- Every child is different and will react in different ways to new foods, situations, and general mood. Start to observe your child’s personality from at least 3 months onward. Every child is different and will react in different ways to new foods, situations, and general mood. You will have to learn to know the child you get. If you do, it will help with communicating with them about such things as food and activity, rather than battling with them over everything.

5- Don't panic about your baby crying every 2 to 3 hours per day, usually around 6 weeks of age. This is normal "exercise" to get parents' attention. If your baby is recently fed and her diapers changed, she does not require additional feeding in order to calm her down.

6- Never punish or reward with food any infant or child.

With just a little attention and persistence, real change can be affected and maintained to ensure that our children lead healthy, productive lives, free from the devastating effects – both physical and emotional – from being overweight.

This article was written based on information from the book You Can Lose Your Baby Fat: New Rules to Protect Kids from Obesity. The authors, Dr. Philip Nader, Emeritus Professor of Pediatrics at UCSD, and Michelle Murphy Zive, M.S., R.D. nutritionist, welcome reactions to this article . You can contact the authors at pnader@ucsd.edu or mzive@ucsd.edu.For more information on good nutrition, visit www.sdnnonline.org

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Salud+HealthInfo is for information and educational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for personal medical attention, diagnosis or hands-on treatment. If you are concerned abut your health or that of a child, please consult your family's physician or health provider immediately and do not try to diagnose yourself.

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