Help Your Child before It’s too Late

Children who are found obese based on their BMI (body mass index) should be recommended to exercise more, eat healthy, and ask for behavioral counseling. These new recommendations are updating those from 2005.

United States Preventive Services Task Force reported in the Pediatrics Journal that obesity rate has risen up between 12 and 18 percent in children aged from two to 19. It is well known that obesity could lead to high blood pressure and diabetes, according to Reuters.

25 hours of moderate or high-intensity programs over a six-month period can result in a decrease in BMI. In order to make a weight loss program effective for children, physical activity and dietary counseling are also needed.

It is not clear, though, if these recommendations can be applied to overweight children too. Also, there was no convincing support for less than 25 hours of exercising in a six months period for children below the age of six.

Dr. Sandra G. Hassink, Dupont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, urges pediatricians to screen all children. Doctors should work with families to screen for high-risk nutrition and physical activity behaviors that lead to obesity in childhood, writes Dr. Hassink.

In case of teenagers, obesity may lead to the decrease of the myocardial performance and abnormal diastolic function. Experts believe that the changes may be reversible with weight loss.

Physical activity helps children develop their bodies, brains, ability to learn, and social skills. If children are not taught from early childhood to enjoy exercise, they might end up avoiding it. Who do kids follow? Their role models! Who are kids’ role models? Their parents! If kids don’t see their parents exercising, they won’t be physically active either, so parents should promote sports to their children.