Parenting NH - Child Health - Overweight and Obesity
Question: We are concerned about our child’s desire to play video games and watch television. We know he should be more active and his pediatrician says he weighs more than he should. Will he grow out of his pudginess? How do we get him to be more active?
Answer: Addressing the issue of your child’s weight is a team effort! Your child, you, and his health care provider are part of that team. We are learning more all the time about health implications of children who become overweight. One thing we know for sure – children who are overweight are more likely to experience health problems and poor self-image during childhood. Of those that continue being overweight as adults, many are less successful than their adult peers and will die younger. All children will become overweight if they are exposed to high calorie, high fat diets with limited exercise – but some children become “really overweight.”
It’s a challenge to get our children up and moving when sedentary activities may appear more inviting. Experts recommend 60 minutes of moderate or high intensity physical activity for kids on most days. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say that 52 percent of American children ages six to 17 don’t exercise regularly. If your child is in that group, try being more enthusiastic and deliberate to help him increase his odds for better health and longevity. Parents have a key role in their child’s exercise habits and their amount of screen time (TV, video games, computer.) Being active helps us feel better and when your child sees you exhibit healthier lifestyle habits, he is more likely to follow suit.
There is help available in your individual effort for a healthier child. "5-2-1-0 Healthy NH" is a statewide public education initiative to bring awareness to the daily guidelines for nutrition and physical activity. The message is simple and clear, and represents some of the most important steps you and your family can take to prevent childhood obesity.
These guidelines are:
5 Servings of fruits and vegetables… more matters! Eat at least five servings a day. Limit the use of 100 percent fruit juice; this isn’t a very nutritious way of consuming fruit.
2 Cut screen time to two hours or less a day.
1 Participate in at least one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day.
0 Restrict soda and sugar-sweetened sports and fruit drinks with a goal of zero each day. Instead, drink water and three to four servings/day of fat-free/skim or one percent milk. See the Foundation for Healthy Communities website for more information on the 5-2-1-0 campaign. Seeing the 5-2-1-0 message in schools, doctors’ offices, grocery stores and other places in your community is an opportunity to reinforce this with your child.
Check with your child’s school about its wellness program. All schools that participate in the National School Lunch and/or Breakfast Program are required by law to establish a local wellness policy. School districts must also involve a broad group of stakeholders in the development of these policies and in setting goals for nutrition education, physical activity, food provision and other school-based activities designed to promote student wellness.
As a parent you can be the best “healthy habits” role model for your children. Use routines and limits to help children feel safe and secure. Family meals are “family glue” that makes kids feel loved and connected. Being active helps everyone feel good – and it makes our brains work better!
Make it easy to make healthy choices by providing healthy food – then let your child choose what and how much to eat. Help children learn to like foods that are good for them by offering them time and again. And avoid the temptation to restrict your child’s food intake. Research tells us that too much parental control may decrease a child’s ability to self regulate.
Charlene Baxter is the state Program Leader for Family and Consumer Resources with UNH Cooperative Extension.
Sources: How can parents help prevent childhood obesity? Dr. Margaret B. Brown, University of Delaware Cooperative Extension, 2006. Tipping the Scales in Favor of Our Children, Harvard Pilgrim Healthcare Foundation, 2008.