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Childrens Health
> Obesity in Children
According to the alarming statistics provided to us
by the American Heart Association the number of
obese children is on the rise. Overweight children
are more than twice as likely to become overweight
adults as that of a skinnier child. Successfully
preventing or treating overweight in childhood may
reduce the risk of adult overweight. This may help
reduce the risk of heart disease and other diseases.
Based on data from the 1999–2000 NHANES, the
prevalence of overweight in children ages 6–11
increased from 4.2 percent to 15.3 percent compared
with data from 1963–65. The prevalence of overweight
in adolescents ages 12–19 increased from 4.6 percent
to 15.5 percent.
The easiest way for you as a parent to
prevent/maintain your child’s weight is by focusing
on small but permanent changes in eating. This will
probably work better for you than short-term changes
that can’t be sustained
Try these tips:
1.)
Reducing caloric intake is the easiest change.
Highly restrictive diets that forbid favorite foods
are likely to fail. They should be limited to rare
patients with severe complications who must lose
weight quickly.2.)
ecoming more active is widely recommended. Increased
activity is common in all studies of successful
weight reduction. Create an environment that fosters
physical activity.
3.)
Parents' involvement in modifying overweight
children's behavior is important. Parents who model
healthy eating and activity can positively influence
their children's health.
When treating overweight children, the emphasis
should always be to prevent weight gain above what’s
appropriate for expect increases in height. This is
called prevention of increased weight gain velocity.
For many children this may mean limited or no weight
gain while they grow taller. Recommendations for
maintaining weight should include regular physical
activity and careful attention to diet to avoid too
many calories.
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