Published on 14th July 2008 by Bev Grey in Nutrition

Will your child's baby fat go away by itself, or should you be concerned?

Doctors are seeing more overweight children develop Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and other life-threatening conditions at younger and younger ages. Most of these conditions can be prevented with a change of lifestyle. If you think too much fuss is made over children being overweight, maybe you need to reconsider.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, one in six kids is seriously overweight. While most kids shed their baby fat by preschool, parents should schedule a talk with their child's doctor if the child has held on to those extra pounds.

Your child's doctor can help you determine whether your child has a weight problem. Using a series of growth charts the doctor can measure a child's body mass index, or BMI, to determine whether height and weight are proportionate. BMIs in children also take gender and age into consideration to allow for the change in body composition that happens as a child gets older. The BMI is a better indicator than a weight measurement alone of whether your child is carrying too much body fat. Children whose BMI is in the 85th percentile are considered overweight, while those in the 95th percentile are considered obese.

As many as 60% of adults are now overweight; so if their children look like the rest of the family, they may blame it on their "genes" rather than their environment. While it is true that children may be genetically predisposed toward obesity, that doesn't mean that a healthier diet and regular physical activity can't reverse the trend.

Sometimes good parenting can mean doing things that will be unpopular with your children, such as limiting the amount of time they watch TV or play video games, and replacing the junk foods that they eat with healthy meals and snacks. Don't let your child develop bad eating habits such as eating while watching TV, consuming high amounts of soda or juice, or snacking all day.

Many people who are overweight today were not overweight as children, so they may not understand the impact of obesity on the lives of their children. Being teased, bullied or even rejected by other children can be devastating to a child, and will no doubt cause them to feed their emotional emptiness with more food.

To combat the baby fat, and lean away from future obesity, get children involved early on with trying new foods as a fun and exciting experience. Take your child grocery shopping with you, assigning the task of picking out one new fruit, vegetable or dairy product for the family to try. Give children choices and ask them what they would like for lunch or dinner, limiting the selection to a few choices like "carrots or broccoli," for example. 

Even if only one child in the family is overweight, serve the same foods to everyone. Require physical activity from everyone, and join them for at least half an hour each day in some kind of exercise. Children are likely to model their parents' behavior, so set a good example now for them to follow in years to come.

Start today to guide your children toward a healthier, happier life!

 

Article Source: www.articleactive.com

Bev Grey is founder and president of Grandma's Healthy Kids Club, a Web site that offers age-appropriate weight loss programs and other items for children and adults. She is also author of "The Project," a fictional story for children or adults who work with children, and "Ending the Cycle of Obesity," an e-book containing several articles she has written about healthy living and childhood obesity. Visit www.grandmashealthykidsclub.com.

Tags: childhood obesity, overweight children, obese children, overweight kids, healthy diets for kids, nutrition for kids, nutrition for children, healthy diets for children, kid friendly food

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