Young Fat Easier To Shed
Childhood obesity can lead to major health problems if it is not dealt with early. But, as many parents know, getting kids to adopt a healthy lifestyle is an uphill battle.
The Early Show medical correspondent Dr. Emily Senay reports, however, there are some strategies to help children maintain a healthy weight.
When 9-year-old Jordan Levy decided he'd had enough of being overweight, Dr. Eric Small of Mount Kisco, N.Y., knew how to help.
"Before I started, I felt big and I ate everything," Levy says. "But now I
don't eat as much. And [I] drink water and feel better."
Small gave Levy exercises to perform and tips on a healthy diet.
"It taught me that I can't eat that much and to eat healthier, and that I can lose weight if I want," Levy reveals.
According to Small, a child should gain three to four pounds for every inch
they grow.
"[Levy has] grown an inch and stayed the same weight, so that's really
losing three to four pounds," Small explains. "It's weight maintenance.
But if he grew an inch, he should have gained the weight. So, he's doing
well."
Small teaches kids how to tackle the triple whammy of poor nutrition, no
exercise and too much sedentary activity.
The doctor says the key to treating obesity in children is to get them in to a program before the age of 10, because they are still growing and have a lot of flexibility in their attitudes.
"I try to do 10 or 15 minutes of exercise with them and have them be
involved with things that they can do at home and incorporate," Small
explains. "I find that the more the child enjoys this experience with me,
they're likely to come back and look forward to the exercise."
The results, he predicts, is a young boy or girl who is willing to listen
about the nutrition and the sedentary activity.
Small explains there is a huge difference between treating a child and an
adult who is obese.
"With kids we're not talking about weight loss, even in extreme circumstances," Small points out. "The first initial phase is weight
maintenance. If we're skipping meals or avoiding protein or fats, the child
will be, perhaps, stunting their growth. If they're not getting in their
calories, they'll have personality changes, they'll be dehydrated and cranky
or sleepy."
With so many bad choices on offer, it can be tough to get the right message
through to children. Dr. Robert Berkowitz at the University of Pennsylvania
says kids really don't need super-size meals.
"It's important to understand that children can learn to overeat," Berkowitz
says. "They don't want to sit around and eat a lot when they're young.
They just eat until they're satisfied."
Small wants parents to reinforce his message by setting a good example at
home. He says it is a group effort — whether a child or a parent is
mildly overweight.
Studies show that two of the biggest culprits of obesity in kids are too
much television and too much soda.
A concerned parent of an obese child should talk to the pediatrician about
programs in their area, Senay recommends.
The pediatrician should be keep track of the child's growth and weight. And
they should advise a parent accordingly. But, Senay says the time for a
parent to worry about a child's weight depends on a number of factors.
Parents would want to address a child's weight problem before he or she
develops them. And there are genetic and environmental factors at play,
regarding childhood obesity.
Senay explains if both parents have a weight problem, they probably want to start thinking about implementing some weight-control strategies earlier than a family without a history of obesity.