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, January 12, 2009

Formula for Overweight Kids: Too Much TV + Skipped Meals

Skipping meals or spending too much time in front of "screens" contributes to childhood obesity, according to a new study from Pennsylvania State University.

Dr. Molly Martin and her colleagues collected information on 2,500 pairs of twins, siblings, or half-siblings in order to determine what non-genetic factors influence whether a child is overweight. They found that certain aspects of a family's lifestyle, such as sitting down for regular meals together and being physically active during leisure hours, can help keep children slim, regardless of the family's education, socio-economic levels, the children's birth weights, etc.

"Not skipping meals seems to be the biggest factor in weight control," Dr. Martin said. "When you miss a meal, you are more likely to overeat later."

Another important factor was how much time the family spent watching television or playing video games.

This study appears in the Journal of American Sociology.

Labels: skipping_meals, TV, video_games

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Too Much TV + Too Many Skipped Meals = Overweight Kids

Skipping meals or spending too much time in front of television, computer, and video game screens contributes to childhood obesity, according to a new study from Pennsylvania State University.

Dr. Molly Martin and her colleagues collected information on 2,500 pairs of twins, siblings, or half-siblings in order to determine what non-genetic factors influence whether a child is overweight. They found that certain aspects of a family's lifestyle, such as sitting down for regular meals together and being physically active during leisure hours, can help keep children slim, regardless of the family's education, socioeconomic levels, or the children's birth weights.

"Not skipping meals seems to be the biggest factor in weight control," Dr. Martin said. "When you miss a meal, you are more likely to overeat later." The other biggest factor was how much time the family spent watching television or playing video games.

This study appeared in the Journal of American Sociology.

Labels: causes of childhood obesity, skipping_meals, TV

Thursday, November 27, 2008

Eating While Watching TV Increases Kids' Consumption

A University of Toronto nutritionist has found that children who ate their lunches in front of a television set consumed 228 more calories than those who ate without such a distraction.

Dr. Harvey Anderson, an expert on childhood obesity, believes that eating while watching TV interferes with the body's natural ability to know when to stop eating. According to his report, which was funded and released by the Canadian Institute for Health Research, "mindless television produces mindless eating."

Labels: mindless_eating, overeating, TV

Thursday, November 06, 2008

Too Much TV Increases Overweight Kids' Blood Pressure

Watching too much television leads to high blood pressure in obese children, according to a study from the University of California, San Diego.

Dr. Jeffrey Schwimmer and his colleagues studied 546 children (ages four to 13) who were enrolled in weight management clinics. Children who watched two to four hours of television a day were 2.5 times more likely to have high blood pressure, and obese children who watched that amount were three times more likely to have high blood pressure compared to those who watched two hours or less daily.

The American Pediatrics Association recommends that children watch no more than two hours of television a day.

This study appears in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Labels: blood_pressure, health_factors, TV

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

How Can I Help My Child Get More Physical Activity?

The average American child spends 24 hours a week watching television, plus an ever-increasing amount of time staring into a computer monitor. As getting kids up and moving becomes harder and harder, what's a parent to do?

"Make exercise a family affair. Plan active family outings, like trips to the zoo or the playground, bike rides, or playing ball together. Take long walks after dinner and set goals as a family for distance or time. It's a great way to spend time together, and including all family members prevents a child from feeling singled out."

Assign chores that are active (like washing the car or vacuuming) and provide toys that encourage activity as well. Above all, regulate television and computer time. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours per day. Source: Tampa Bay Online

Labels: activity, exercise, TV

Monday, August 18, 2008

Online Program Puts Kids in the Kitchen

A new web-based kids program is taking parents out of the kitchen and teaching young kids how to cook healthy meals for themselves. The show is hosted by children, and was created by JAG Entertainment in Universal City, CA.

"Jr. Chefs of America plans to educate and present an innovative substitute to the fast food nation that is largely responsible for the rising [obesity] epidemic... Each episode promises to teach kids how to properly and safely prepare quick and delicious recipes..."

The show was inspired by Michael Green, whose son has been helping him in the kitchen since he was five years old. Source: JAG Entertainment

Labels: cooking, healthy_eating, TV

Monday, March 24, 2008

Less TV Leads to Kids' Weight Loss

Using a device that limits computer and TV time might help your child lose weight, according to a new study from the University at Buffalo in N.Y.

Dr. Leonard Epstein, a professor of pediatrics, studied 70 overweight children who watched TV and played video games at least 14 hours a week. He gave a monitoring device to half of their parents in order to gradually reduce "screen time" by 50 percent. The group with the monitors lost more weight compared to the control group.

This study appears in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Labels: computers, screen_time, TV

Monday, September 17, 2007

Most 'Kid Show' Ads are for Junk Food

A study that was conducted in 2003-2004 and is being published in the journal Pediatrics found that advertising during kids' TV shows was almost entirely comprised of junk food ads.

"A nine-month survey of the nutritional content of food ads in 170 top-rated [according to Nielsen] TV shows with kids 2-17 concluded that 97.8% of those food ads viewed by young children (2-11) were for foods with poor nutritional content, and 89.4% of ads for teens (12-17)."

The survey did not include fast food advertisements. The senior Vice President of the American Association of Advertising Agencies has argued that the findings are in opposition to a study conducted by the FTC but, while the FTC study found that ads for junk food hadn’t increased significantly in 30 years, it also found that 95% of all ads were for restaurants, fast or junk foods.

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Labels: advertising, junk_food, TV

Friday, June 08, 2007

Excessive Media Use Equals Weight Gain for Kids

Most people assume that kids spent more time outdoors being active during the summer months than they do during the school year. But a recent study found that kids actually gain weight over the summer. Excessive use of and exposure to media (video games, iPods, TiVo, etc) is considered one of the most likely causes.

"Considering that the average American child will see more than 40,000 ads on broadcast television alone in one year, and that 83 percent of the food ads in kids' sows are for fast food and sweets, it’s no wonder that the amount of time kids spend in front of a screen is directly linked to their risk of being obese."

Though it's not likely that parents can get kids to avoid TV and other media altogether, now is a good time for them to set some ground rules for the summer. Read more at HuffingtonPost.com.

Labels: summers, TV, video_games

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

How does Your Child Measure Up?

Adolescents who are very healthy get daily exercise, watch less than two hours of television per day, eat 5-6 servings or more of fresh fruits and vegetables, and eat very little fat. How does your child measure up to these standards?

If your child is lacking in one or more of these areas, he's not alone. In a study published in a recent issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, nearly 80 percent of 11-15 year old children watch too much TV, exercise too little, eat too much fat and eat too few fruits and vegetables.

The best way to turn this around? Be a good role model. The researchers found evidence that parents' health behaviors were associated with children's health behaviors.

Labels: exercise, healthy eating, TV

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Less TV + More Family Meals = Healthier Kids

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association confirms earlier research that suggests that children who watch fewer than two hours of television per day are less likely to be overweight than those children watching 16 or more hours of television per week.

Coupled with less television time, those children who ate more meals with their families tended to have fewer weight problems than those who didn't eat as many meals with the family. The authors speculate that those children who eat family meals not only eat healthier foods than they might eat otherwise, but may learn more about healthy eating behaviors in the family meal setting.

Labels: family meals, healthy eating, TV