Childhood Obesity - Do you have an overweight child? We offer tips to help your child lose weight and get fit!

The My Overweight Child blog will help you keep informed about the latest research, findings, and resources available to parents of overweight or obese kids. There are many knowledgeable people working on the increasingly dire problem of childhood obesity - and we want to give parents a place where they can check in regularly to see the latest studies and tips available to help you help your child lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.

We invite you to add your comments - if you have feedback for the blog, would like some specific topics covered, or you just want to share your experience as a parent dealing with childhood obesity.

Monday, October 30, 2006

Childhood Obesity and IQ

If there aren't already enough reasons to watch what your child eats, it seems that there may be another good reason - your child's intelligence. A recent study published in the Journal of Pediatrics suggests that there is a link between early onset morbid obesity and lower IQ scores as well as cognitive delays.

Young age morbid obesity was defined for the purpose of the study as those weighing at least 150% of ideal body weight before the age of 4.

Study authors from the University of Florida suggest that metabolic disturbances caused by obesity may damage the growing brain. When morbidly obese children were compared with normal-weight siblings, IQ scores were an average of twenty-eight points lower. More study is needed to determine whether this obesity complication is reversible.

Posted By: Lori S