There is an epidemic of obesity. Almost one out of seven children ages 6 through 18 is overweight, putting them at increased risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and future heart disease. Type 2 diabetes, mostly an adult disease, is on the rise in young people. Overweight children and overweight teens might experience significant social discrimination, which can lead to poor self- esteem, depression and a diminished ability to function well in school.
Unhealthy eating patterns, lack of physical activity and genetics all play important roles in determining a child’s weight. If you are uncertain of your child’s weight, a health-care professional can calculate a Body Mass Index, known as BMI, from measurements of height and weight, and monitor your child’s growth patterns to make sure his or her weight remains healthy.
Parents are responsible for controlling what food comes into the house, making and presenting meals, helping to make mealtimes pleasant and regulating the timing and content of snacks. Children are responsible for whether or not, and how much, they eat. Your family’s diet should include all of the Recommended Dietary Allowances, or RDAs, for vitamins, minerals and protein; and contain foods from the major Food Guide Pyramid groups. Stock the refrigerator with fat-free or low-fat milk, fresh fruit and vegetables instead of soft drinks or snacks that are high in fat, calories and added sugars and are low in essential nutrients.
Activities like video games, television and computer screens expend very few calories and should be limited to less than two hours a day. Children need at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week — even more to prevent weight gain or sustain weight loss. Ideally, families should find exercise activities that they enjoy doing together. Get up, get out, have fun!
If you have an overweight child, here are some things to remember. All children need acceptance, support and encouragement from their parents. Let them know they are loved and appreciated, whatever their weight. Focus on your child’s health and positive qualities, not your child’s weight. If your child sees you enjoying healthful foods and physical activity, he or she is more likely to do the same now and in the future. Some overweight children who are still growing will not need to lose weight but can reduce their rate of weight gain so that they can “grow into” their weight as their height increases. Crash diets create their own problems and any weight loss is often temporary. Weight control is a lifelong effort sustained by motivation to embrace healthful eating and physical- activity habits.
Recently, various consumer groups have begun to sue the makers of some snack foods, just as the tobacco industry has been sued for the damage done by its products. Some school districts across the country have banned the sale of soft drinks and high-fat content snacks from school grounds. We will see increased community efforts to combat obesity, but what happens everyday in your own family is what is most important.
Provided by The Santa Fe New Mexican by Dr. Victor LaCerva.
