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

A panel of scientific advisors for the Wellspring Weight Loss Camps and schools has questioned the methods of a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

The study compared four popular diets, such as low carbohydrate and low fat, and found that they all produced modest weight losses after two years.

The Wellspring group asserts that the low-fat diet was not really low, because it was 26% fat. Their programs offer diets of less than 10% fat. Moreover, the Wellspring scientists noted "diets don't work. No diet can produce the changes in attitude, skills, support and behaviors that long-term weight control requires."

The Wellspring approach is an "immersion process" that uses a variety of techniques such as cognitive behavioral therapy, focusing, emotional awareness, stress management, and staff modeling along with control of diet and physical activity.

Labels: behaviors, long_term_weight_loss

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Weight loss programs that focus on changing behaviors can help obese children, according to a report from the United States Department of Health and Human Services Agency.

About 17 percent of American children are obese, which means that their body mass indices are in the 95th percentile for their age, weight, and height. Obesity puts these children at risk for diabetes, fatty liver disease, heart problems, and other medical maladies.

The children in the study ranged in age from eight to 16. Some attended programs that met outside of school once or twice a week for six to twelve months. The most effective ones emphasized good diet and exercise habits.

At the end of the programs, participants had lost between three and 23 pounds. Heavier children and those enrolled in the most intensive weight loss programs for teens achieved the best results.

"Obese children and their families may be discouraged about their weight, but our review found there are programs out there that can help kids to either gain weight more slowly as they grow or, when appropriate, lose weight," said Dr. Evelyn Whitlock, a director of the Kaiser Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon.

Labels: behaviors, lifestyle, therapy

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A study conducted at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon, found that behavioral management can help obese children lose weight.

"Behavioral tactics include "setting goals, rewarding behaviors, planning ahead, setting up an environment for success, and planning what to do if you have a slip,' said [Dr. Evelyn] Whitlock, an investigator at the Portland research center."

Weight loss for the children who participated in the program ranged from three to 23 pounds, with higher weight loss found in kids who participated in more intense programs. These losses were maintained for up to a year after the program ended. Source: Columbian (WA)

Labels: behaviors, lifestyle, therapy

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Rena Wing, professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, believes it takes more than just a switch to skim milk if people are going to effectively address the issue of obesity. Instead, it requires an entire change in lifestyle.

"'There's no way around it,' Wing said. 'If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you need to really change your lifestyle, particularly if you're overweight or have a family history of obesity.'"

Necessary lifestyle changes include a substantial increase in daily physical activity and a dramatic (but healthy) reduction in caloric intake. Often, the calorie reduction can happen when a person simply changes the types of food she eats, such as choosing fruits and vegetables instead of chips and cookies. Read more at EurekaAlert.org.

Labels: healthy_living, behaviors, lifestyle

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