Childhood Obesity

A new study has found that before children have even left the cradle, they are set on a course toward a lifetime of Obesity.

Researchers at the Children's Hospital in Boston &  Harvard Medical School say that the combination of bottle-feeding and adding solid food to an infant's diet strongly predisposes them to grow up overweight.

According to the World Health Organization , the rate of childhood obesity has tripled since 1966. They also say that 80% of obese children will carry that trend into adulthood. Obese children see higher incidences of type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, and poor self-esteem.

Breakfast cereals are loaded with sugar and many children survive on a diet low in nutrition and heavy on fast food. Physical education programs in schools have been pushed aside to make room for more academic classes.

Childhood overweight is associated with various health-related consequences. Overweight children and adolescents may experience immediate health consequences and may be at risk for weight-related health problems in adulthood.

Psychosocial Risks

Treatment is an unnecessary option when you could prevent child obesity.

Prevention focuses basically on parent education.

In infancy, parent education should center on:

• breastfeeding,
• recognition of signals of satiety, and

According to Eric Digest, obesity treatment programs for children and adolescents rarely have weight loss as a goal. Rather, the aim is to slow or halt weight gain so the child will grow into his or her body weight over a period of months to years. Dietz (1983) estimates that for every 20 percent excess of ideal body weight, the child will need one and one-half years of weight maintenance to attain ideal body weight.