Amy Peterson, Extension Educator
University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension
It’s hard enough for kids to grow up without feeling awkward about being overweight when all they hear about on the news is how kids are getting fatter and their parents are, too!
Over the past thirty years, the number of overweight children in the United States has tripled, with about 13 percent of kids ages six to eleven being categorized as overweight and 14 percent of those children between the ages of twelve and nineteen, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This issue has become the most common nutritional problem for children today.
It’s not just about buying bigger clothing or waiting to see if they "stretch". When children are overweight, they are at a higher risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and social discrimination, which can lead to poor self esteem and depression. But how does a parent encourage a child without discouraging them?
According to the Baylor College of Medicine experts, it is important to get the whole family involved. Family history, inactivity, and poor food habits may all contribute to the weight problem, and with the recent rise in overweight children, it is more likely that food habits and the lack of physical activity may play a larger role than genetics. Children often imitate food habits that they learn at home. Lots of snack food, poor meal planning, lack of physical activity, and lots of high-fat high-calorie food choices most likely contribute more to a child’s weight problem than a hormonal imbalance.
If you are concerned about your child, remember that many children shed their "baby fat" during the rapid growth spurts of puberty. Although not all children who are overweight grow into overweight adults, the chances of that happening increase the older the child is, if they are still carrying excess weight.
Simply speaking, even with all the diet advice that dances around in the news, the best way to address this issue is to increase physical activity and eat balanced healthy meals. This is a plus for the whole family, from the youngest on up to the parents, as almost two-thirds of all Americans have a weight problem.
One great way to work with your child is to work on their self esteem. According to Carolyn Cochrane, PhD, and director of the eating disorders programs at the Baylor College of Medicine, "a family helps mold a child’s self esteem from birth, and therefore his or her body image. It is not an accident that if you try to improve self-esteem, body image will improve, and vice-versa."
Another way is to see yourself as a role model. An overweight child frequently has an overweight parent. When the whole family works toward healthier lifestyles, everyone is involved and no one is singled out. The family can improve health and be happier! Go for family walks, take bike rides in the park, help out with chores. Just get MOVING!
Does your family have a history of obesity? Teach your child early on the importance of being active and making healthy food choices. It may mean some changes in the food pantry - and it is as hard to cut "junk food" out of your diet as it is anything else. Try eliminating a few things at a time, and substitute them with healthier foods. If it’s not in the house, it can’t be eaten! And make sure you follow them yourself, for the sake of everyone’s health now and in the future.
This week try to make some changes to make your family more healthy. Then log on to unlforfamilies.unl.edu and let us know what changes you made and why.
