Submitted by Dr. Carl Lindgren, Healthy Future Pediatrics
Recent evidence shows that up to one third of children in the United States are either overweight or obese and the problem is worsening. As seen in adults, being overweight or obese has adverse consequences for the health of children. More children are suffering from weight related medical issues such as diabetes, sleep apnea and even gall bladder stones than in the past. While the cause of being overweight and obese is complex with many factors involved, here are a few suggestions that could help keep your child at a healthy weight.
Breast Feed
Breast feed your infant children if at all possible. In one study, children who were not breast fed had a 4.5% chance of becoming overweight. In comparison children breast fed through the first 12 months had a risk of 0.8%.
Eat at Mealtime
At a year of age, move your child to a pattern of eating at mealtimes and have them drink water in between meals. How many times when you are going through a grocery store do you see another parent with a small child who is eating something? I find it incredibly common. To be fair, getting through a day with a small child is no easy feat. Giving the child a treat to distract them can be an effective way to get the job done without a fuss. I fear in doing so, however, we start an eating pattern for them that may have lifelong consequences. This is where children learn to eat out of boredom or consolation. Later parents are frustrated when the child does not eat the meal they prepare. If the child is not hungry they are rarely going to eat the good stuff. What seems like a very small treat can have a large impact to the appetite of a small child.
On the other hand, many parents feel compelled to immediately feed a child who expresses any degree of hunger. In their mind a good parent is always prepared to meet the child’s need. The thought of letting their child go hungry for any amount of time seems cruel. What would people say? I say, don’t worry about other people and do what’s best for your child. Having your child learn that hunger is normal and that they can wait an hour or so until the next nutritious meal is an important lesson. While feeding in a meal pattern may not make your day easier, if you give water in between meals it can also lower your child’s risk for cavities.
Beware of Sweetening
At the end of a meal we should have a really hard time with dessert since our hunger is long gone. Funny how that does not happen. Sweetening can get a person to eat something they might otherwise turn away from. The food industry uses this fact in all sorts of ways. Sweetening is everywhere. While artificial sweeteners reduce the intake of calories that sugar would provide, these substances are thousands of times more sweet than the same amount of sugar. How does this experience affect the brain of infants and young children? Will natural foods ever compare later?
Television is not helping
Turn your television off. A recent study showed up to 36% of 2 year old children in the United States had a television in their bedroom. Study after study shows the rates for being overweight and obese goes up in direct proportion to the amount of time spent watching television. The recommended amount of television exposure (which means being in the room, not even watching) for children under 2 years old is ZERO. As more information comes in I fully expect this recommendation will move up to include children as old as 4 years.
Sleep is important
Make sure your children get enough sleep. Having healthy sleep routines is essential to a person’s basic well being. Chronically getting too little sleep is a risk factor for being overweight and studies have shown abnormalities in hormones related to the regulation of appetite. Letting your child stay up until they fall asleep on the sofa night after night has consequences that go beyond being grumpy the next day. Create a reasonable bedtime and stick to it. That goes for adults as well.
For more information, visit Healthy Future Pediatrics.
