Preventing childhood obesity
In 1999, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation recognized obesity as an emerging issue and initiated ongoing consumer research targeting "tweens" (children between the ages of 9 and 12) and their parents, with the goals of better understanding attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors about health.
The research found that kids and parents both relate obesity to food more than to physical activity. In addition, kids relate weight to performance and appearance, but not to health. Kids are not sure what "being fit" means and don't sustain interest in concepts like "nutrition," "physical activity," or "healthy eating." To kids, "healthy" brings to mind somewhat negative images of being required to eat fruits and vegetables or being deprived of their favorite foods. Being healthy equals "rules."
In addition, kids want "small victories" to sustain their interest and build self-esteem and ideas for physical activity beyond organized sports. They want ongoing parental guidance and emotional support.
Research with parents found they do not see overweight as a health issue for their kids-they believe their child will outgrow the problem. They also fear that bringing attention to the problem will cause eating disorders. Parents feel they lack the information and skills to address the issue with their kids.
It helps to tell your child why he or she should care about health, giving reasons like feeling good, looking good, getting stronger and doing well in school or sports.
For older children, parents also should explain that healthy eating and being active now may help prevent diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoporosis, stroke, and some forms of cancer when you are older. Even
small changes will make a difference.
What can I do to keep my child from being overweight?
Weight problems can be very hard to fix, so it's important to prevent the problem from happening in the first place. Here are some tips to help you keep your child at a healthy weight:
• Don't make your child eat when he or she isn't hungry - it's OK if not every drink or every meal gets finished.
• Don't use food to comfort or to reward.
• Don't offer dessert as a reward for finishing a meal. Doing this teaches your child to value sweets more than other foods.
• Offer your child a healthy diet. No more than 30 percent of all the calories your child eats should be fat calories. Ask your doctor or a dietitian to teach you about the right kinds of food to feed your child. Your child needs to get lots of fiber from fruits, vegetables and grains.
• Don't eat at fast-food restaurants more than once a week.
• Limit how much TV your child watches. Try to get your child to do something active instead, like riding a bicycle or playing ball.
• Spend time being active with your child - go on family walks and play outdoor games together whenever you can.
• Teach your child good eating and exercise habits now to help him or her have a healthy life.
Source: International Food Information Council (IFIC) Foundation
Read what Dr. Laura Marusinec, a pediatrician with Advanced Healthcare, says about treating overweight children.
