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

Concern for healthy eating habits motivates parents to set rules regarding the types and quantities of food their kids can eat. But according to a Feb. 19 article by Jodi Mailander Farrell of the Chicago Tribune, the parents' own eating habits have a far greater impact that the rules they set:

The best thing you can do for your kids is to be a good role model and eat the way you want your child to eat. Choose a variety of healthy foods from all the food groups, eat in moderation and make exercise part of your regular routine.

An estimated 10 million women and 1 million men suffer from eating disorders in the United States. Many of these disordered eaters begin to show symptoms at very early ages -- some as young as eight. Parental influence goes a long way toward ensuring that kids have good perspectives on food and healthy body image.

Labels: parents, attitudes, body_image

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Four new studies indicate that being overweight negatively affects the mental health of children and teenagers.

• A study from the University of Minnesota found that overweight children who were teased about their bodies were two or three times more likely to think about or try to commit suicide. The effect was worse for girls, in that 50 percent had thought about suicide (compared to 34 percent of boys) and 25 percent of girls had attempted suicide (compared to 12 percent of boys). The children in the study suffered from depression, poor body images and low self-esteem.
• The second study from the University of Alberta in Canada looked at how being overweight affects self-esteem and school performance.
  
  Dr. Paul Veugelers assembled data on 4,298 fifth grade children, including their scores on standardized tests, heights and weights, and measurements of self-esteem. He found that children who were overweight had lower self-esteem, but doing well in school could help them feel better about themselves, Children who steered away from junk food and ate sufficient amounts of fruit, vegetables, protein, and fiber were significantly more likely to perform well on literacy tests.
  
  Dr. Veugelers actively campaigns for school and government interventions to help overweight Canadian children. His latest study appears in the journal Obesity Review.
• White and Hispanic teenagers who are obese or overweight are more likely to be anxious and depressed, according to published in the journal Pediatrics. The effect did not hold for overweight African-American teenagers.
  
  Dr. Rhonda BeLue and her colleagues at Pennsylvania State University went through public health records of more than 35,184 people ages 12 to 19 years old. She said that her findings indicate that doctors should assess not only a teenager's weight problems, but also mental health issues.
  
  Dr. BeLue was not sure why African-American teens are not as bothered by being overweight, but she speculated that they might be dealing with "a constellation" of other stresses or simply be under less pressure from family and friends to be thin.
• Finally, a study from RMIT University found that obese 10 to 13 year-olds find it hard to concentrate, hard to sleep, and had problems with back pain and lower leg pains. Lead researcher Lara Taylor said obese children were overall more weak and tired, and struggled with ordinary movements such as getting up from chairs, compared to children of normal weight.

This study was part of a national analysis called Overweight, Obesity and Function.

Labels: mental_health, depression, body_image

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A Canadian study of teenagers and children found that overweight young people perceive themselves as normal if they are surrounded by overweight friends and family.

"The higher the body mass indices (BMIs) of friends and family, the more kids were likely to underestimate their weights - a trend consistent for both sexes, regardless of the socio-economic status of their families," according to Dr. Katerina Maximova of McGill University.

Researchers examined the BMIs of 3,665 children ages 9 to 16. About 14% were overweight, and 9% were obese. However, less than 2% thought they were too heavy. Dr. Maximova said the misconceptions were linked to having overweight friends and family members.

This study appears in the Journal of Obesity.

Labels: perceptions, body_image, denial

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A recent study of more than 2,500 adolescents found that teasing, and pressure to lose weight often increased the risk of obesity in teens that were already overweight. The study also found that overweight teens were just as likely to use unhealthy weight-control measures (i.e. - purging, laxatives, or overuse of diet pills) as under-weight kids.

"Pushing diets won't help. Neither will teasing about weight. Instead parents should focus on having frequent family meals, creating a positive atmosphere at mealtimes, promoting physical activity and building self-esteem, the researchers recommend."

About one-fourth of the overweight girls in the study reported using extreme measures to try and lose weight. The study emphasizes the fact that body-image and self-esteem issues lie at the heart of weight problems at both ends of the spectrum.

Labels: self_esteem, body_image, unhealthy_food_choices

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