Many more children are overweight today than in
the past. There is a greater variety of food available and advertised to
children some of which is more likely to cause too much weight gain. Many
children also have fewer opportunities for being active and get less
exercise as, for example; they are driven to school rather than walk (to
keep them safe). Being overweight can cause problems for children both in
health and in how they feel about themselves.
The aim managing weight is to be
healthy. This means having a healthy lifestyle which includes exercise not
just a focus on weight loss.
Normal development
Many children look plump in
babyhood and early childhood. This is partly due to body shape at this
age. As they grow their legs get longer compared with their bodies and
they run around more so they naturally lose this look. It is important not
to be worried about children’s weight at an early age. At the same time
any child who is very overweight compared with others of the same age
should have a medical check to see that there are no underlying problems
and then get some help with healthy eating and exercise.
Weight problem
The following are some of the problems that can
be caused by being very overweight,
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There can be problems with getting on with
other children. Many of these children are teased or bullied by others
and so their childhood can be unhappy.
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In the primary school years children’s self
esteem is partly related to how they get on with others so sometimes
being overweight can cause children to feel badly about themselves.
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Often being overweight can continue into
adulthood and cause other health problems.
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Less common problems (in childhood) can be
diabetes or high blood pressure.
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Many overweight older children and young
people can develop eating problems (including inappropriate dieting and
occasionally eating disorders) as they try to control their weight).
Cause
The cause of being overweight in childhood are
mixed.
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A large part of the cause is due to what the
child inherits (25-75%). The way the body controls energy, uses up fats
and feels hungry is different for different people. Some different
culture groups are m ore likely to be overweight.
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There is very easy access to ‘energy dense’
foods: foods that are high in fats and sugars.
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Part of the cause is also in the way children
live and what they do not get much exercise and if they eat a lot of
foods are high in fats.
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Television watching is related to overweight
problems because
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Children don’t use much body energy when they
are watching
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They often watch instead of more active play
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They are likely to have snacks while watching
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On top of this they see a lot of food
advertisements leading them to want foods that are not good for their
health and weight.
So being overweight or obese comes both because
of the way the child’s body works and the way the child lives.
Increasing overweight and obesity is
happening world wide. People who are obese are more likely to have health
problems. Helping young children to develop good eating patterns and
enjoyment from sport and exercise may help them avoid health problems.
Soft drinks and fruit juice.
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Drink that are sweetened with sugar, such
as soft drinks and fruit juices, can help to cause children’s weight
problems.
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Children drink many more soft drinks and
fruit juices now than in the past.
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Soft drinks often contain more sugar than is
healthy for children’s food needs. They also “fill children up” so they
don’t feel like eating healthy foods.
What parents can do
Even though it is partly due to the child’s
body type there is much that parents can do to help their children to
manage their weight and the problems it causes.
You need to look at all the different things
that might affect your child’s weight, such as what he gets, what food
there is about the house and family eating patterns.
It is very important to avoid ‘diets’ to lose
weight as they do not work and even if people lose weight, there are very
likely to gain weight again when they stop to diet.
Try to help the child to change
what he should or should not eat. You might think about changing the
amount of activities he does, or when and where you eat in your family eg
not in front of the television.
Exercise
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Exercise rather than limiting food intake is
the best and safety way to become more healthy.
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People who only cut back on food lose some
weight, but often this is due to muscle loss as well as fat loss, and
the weight is put back on quickly.
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Regular exercise such as brisk walks daily,
regular physical education classes or sport can lead to weight loss
without muscle loss and improved health. Even of no weight is lost, this
exercise makes the person fitter and healthier.
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Find out what exercise your child most enjoys
and support him in doing that. This often works really well If you
exercise with your child.
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Encourage your child to be involved in clubs
and sports if he is old enough.
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Think of way that your children can get more
exercise in ordinary living eg helping at home could be to take the dog
for a walk instead of drying the dishes. Try using the stairs in shops
instead of the escalators.
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If television watching is problem you could
have a television diary with a certain number of watching hours a week
that your child could choose to use up when he wanted to (within
reason). Perhaps some extra time could be earned by active chores such
as running errands or sweeping paths.
Nutrition
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It is good idea to get some advice from
dietitian about how to manage weight and he best foods to provide for
healthy eating.
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Teach children about healthy nutrition and
suitable food choices.
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Remember that children are growing, so losing
weight may not be the best for them, it may be better to try slow down
their weight gain so it matches their growing.
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Set some small goals that your child can do
well at and feel he is getting somewhere.
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Get help about healthy eating and living as
family. Long term weight loss may be possible when the whole family is
involved and everybody changes the way they eat – and that is good for
everybody.
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Change the way you shop and cook eg don’t
have a lot of fatty type snacks such as sweet biscuits and cake in the
house.
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Try to help the child to aim for being
healthier rather than counting calories (or kilojoules)
Take care of yourself.
If you also have a weight problem it helps
children if they see you taking good care of yourself.
Television
Cut down on the amount of commercial TV your
children watch. A study of 13 developed countries showed that Australia
had the highest number of television food advertisements per hour (higher
that the USA and the UK). (See Young Media Australia below). Most food ads
push foods that are high in fat, sugar or salt and are of low nutritional
value.
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Don’t let preschoolers watch any commercial
TV at all
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When older children away from commercial TV.
Watch ABC.
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If children want to watch a program on
commercial TV, teach them to hit the mute button when the commercials
come on.
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Record favorite programs and ‘fast forward’
through the commercials.
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Encourage children to do other things during
the peak times of food commercials (eg late afternoon and early
evening), such as outside play, walks to playground. Go with them and
have more family time.
Children’s feelings.
It is most important to keep up your child’s
self esteem and not to let anyone tease him about his weight. Everyone is
different and it is not only thin people who are attractive.
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Being overweight can expose children to being
teased (see ‘Bullying’ for ideas to deal with this)
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It is important not to label a child as fat,
chubby, plump etc.
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Work on building the child’s self esteem –
encourage the child in what she does well, let her know that you love
and value and approve of her.
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Make sure the child has attractive and
fashionable cloths.
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Try to ensure that the child is nit mad to
feel bad being on sports where she will always come last. Look for the
says to exercise which are individual and where the child can succeed.
Encourage her to play sports that she likes and does well at. Walking
and bike riding as family can be excellent exercise.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body Mass Index is one way to
getting an idea about whether or not a child is overweight. A special
chart for children and teenagers has been developed because the adult
percentages are not appropriate for children.
One calculator that may be useful
is the one on the Kidhealth site. You need to be careful how you interpret
the results. BMI is only one of the ways that a child’s weight can be
assessed.
