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

A Pennsylvania college has created a controversy because it is requiring overweight and obese students to enroll in a fitness course that students of normal weight can avoid -- and has threatened to withhold degrees from students who fail to complete the course.

A Nov. 30 CNN article by Elizabeth Landau provided a glimpse into two divergent opinions about the school's policy:

Students at Lincoln University with a body mass index of 30 or above, reflective of obesity, must take a fitness course that meets three hours per week. Those who are assigned to the class but do not complete it cannot graduate. ...

"I didn't come to Lincoln to be told that my weight is not in an acceptable range," [LU student Tina Lawson wrote in an editorial in the school paper]. "I came here to get an education which, as a three-time honor student, is something I have been doing quite well, despite the fact that I have a slightly high Body Mass Index."

But James DeBoy, chairman of the school's Department of Health and Physical Education, says the requirement is just like courses to help students' communications or math proficiency. The faculty also has a priority to be honest with students, he said.

"We, as educators, must tell students when we believe, in our heart of hearts, when certain factors, certain behaviors, attitudes, whatever, are going to hinder that student from achieving and maximizing their life goals," he said.

Labels: overweight, students, college, bmi

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Parents are more likely to understand their doctor's advice about their children's weights when the doctors use color-coded charts, according to a study from the University of North Carolina.

Dr. Eliana Perrin tested 163 parents as to their understanding of body mass index. If their doctors use color-coded BMI charts, parents were more likely to understand their children's weight problems. In these charts, for example, green indicated a healthy BMI, yellow was risky, and red was unhealthy.

"The study shows the importance of simplified communication," Dr. Perrin said in a Sept. 16 article on the medical news website ScienceDaily. "It's important that all parents understand what their doctors are telling them. They don't want a complicated chart."

Labels: parenting, bmi

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A study published in the June 1st issue of the journal SLEEP found that waist size and BMI (Body Mass Index) are consistent, independent risk factors for all severity levels of sleep disordered breathing (SDB) in children.

According to principal investigator Edward O. Bixler, PhD, of Penn State University College of Medicine in Hershey, Penn., it is assumed that the primary mechanism of SDB in children is the presence of large tonsils or adenoids. The study suggests, however, that the causes of SDB in children are more complex, that there may be a systematic influence of obesity. (Source: Red Orbit)

The study included data from 700 children between the ages of five and 12 years who were monitored for one nine-hour period in a sleep laboratory. Obesity-related sleep disorders can inflict severe damage on an individual's health, and are among the many health problems facing overweight and obese teens.

Labels: health problems, bmi, sleep disorders, waist size

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It may be easier to tell if a child is overweight simply by measuring his neck rather than calculating his or her body mass index (BMI), according to a new study from the University of Michigan.

• Dr. Olubkola Nafia studied of ,children ages 6 to 18 years old and found a link between larger necks and above average BMIs.
• A six-year-old boy whose neck circumference is greater than 11.22 inches and a girl that age whose neck is over 10.62 inches are probably overweight.
• For 18 year olds, those figures are 15.35 for boys, and 13.62 for girls.

Dr. Nafia pointed out that measuring the neck is a very quick procedure for doctors to perform, and not as invasive as measuring the waist.

The study appears in the journal Pediatrics.
 

Labels: childhood_obesity, overweight, bmi

Posted By: My Overweight Child 0 Comments

As concern about childhood obesity continues, some schools have begun requiring that students be weighed and measured to have their Body Mass Index (BMI) calculated. If a child’s BMI is high, a “report card” is sent home to the parents. Some feel that this goes beyond a school’s authority and responsibility.

“Calculating body mass index has nothing to do with teaching students history and English and math – things that public schools… would do well to focus on. it presumes – with no compelling rationale – that teachers are reliable trustees for health-related information, and that the public school system will offer reliable follow-up for those children deemed to be overweight or physically unfit.” [Source: Fox News]

Opponents of the practice also worry that it will further stigmatize kids who are overweight, and no real benefit will come as a result of the assessments.

 

Labels: schools, bmi, body_mass_index

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment