Obesity in Children and Teens

The problem of children being overweight is one of the easiest medical conditions to recognize, but most difficult to treat. Overweight children are much more likely to become overweight adults unless they adopt and maintain healthier patterns of eating and exercise.

What is obesity?

A few extra pounds do not suggest obesity. However, they may indicate a tendency to gain weight easily and a need for changes in lifestyle. Generally, a child is not considered obese unless the weight is at least 10 percent higher that what it is recommended for the height and body type. Obesity commonly begins in childhood between the ages of five and six, and during adolescence. A child who is obese has an 80% chance of becoming an obese adult.

What causes obesity?

Children are generally overweight because of lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating habits, with genetics also playing a role. Our society has become very sedentary. Television, computers, and video games contribute to inactive lifestyles. Further, the culture of cars has superseded walking or bicycle riding as a means of transportation. Super-sized, over-processed fast foods, high in calories, fat and sugar, and low in nutrients, are marketed directly to children.

What are the risks and complications of obesity?

How can obesity be managed and treated?

Obese children need a thorough medical examination by a pediatrician, to consider the possibility of a physical cause. In the absence of a physical disorder, the only way to lose weight is to reduce the number of calories being eaten and increase the level of physical activity. Encourage walking, swimming, biking, skating, ball sports, and other fun activities. Reduce the amount of time that the family spends watching TV or playing video games. Offer fruits and vegetables, and eliminate unhealthy snacks.

If your child is overweight

Obesity frequently becomes a lifelong issue. Lasting weight loss can only occur when there is self-motivation. Children and adolescents need a plan of reasonable weight loss goals, and must learn to enjoy healthy foods in moderate amounts and to get regular exercise. Parents of an obese child can improve their child's self-esteem not by denying that the overweight exists, but by emphasizing the child's strengths and positive qualities, and by acting as a positive role model.

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