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Childhood obesity is a serious health condition that involves having excess body fat early in life. The extra weight often starts children on the path to other health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Childhood obesity also can lead to poor self-esteem and depression.
The symptoms of childhood obesity aren't straightforward or simply based on how children look. And various factors can play a part in causing this condition. Some factors may be within a family's ability to change, such as eating and physical activity habits. Many other possible factors can't be changed, such those related to genes and hormones.
You can help manage or prevent childhood obesity by having your whole family regularly eat balanced meals and snacks. It also helps for the whole family to lead an active lifestyle. Steps such as these help protect your child's health now and in the future.
The symptoms of childhood obesity aren't clear-cut. Not all children who carry extra pounds are overweight. Some children have larger than average body frames. And it's typical for children to carry different amounts of body fat at the various stages of development. So you might not know if weight is a concern based on how your child looks.
A measurement called the body mass index (BMI) helps healthcare professionals check for overweight status and obese status. A child's BMI is based on the child's weight and height compared with those of other children the same age and sex using growth charts. Speak with your child's healthcare professional about how your child's BMI fits with other clues of children's health. For instance, growth patterns, eating and activity habits, stress, sleep, and family history also play a key role in health. Other tests also can help your child's healthcare professional figure out if your child's weight might pose health risks.
If you're worried that your child is putting on too much weight, talk with your child's healthcare professional. Get a healthcare checkup right away if your child also has any of the following symptoms:
Childhood obesity is a complex condition. Various factors can play a part in causing it. These include:
Many risk factors make childhood obesity more likely. Some factors that might be within your family's ability to change include the following:
Some other factors for childhood obesity may be out of a parent's ability to control. They include the following:
Childhood obesity often causes health concerns and conditions known as complications. These can affect a child's physical, social and mental well-being.
Physical complications of childhood obesity can include:
Children who have obesity may get teased or bullied by their peers. As a result, they may lose self-esteem. They also can have a higher risk of depression, anxiety and eating disorders.
To help prevent childhood obesity, take the following steps:
Be sure that your child gets well-child checkups at least once a year too. During this visit, a healthcare professional measures your child's height and weight and figures out your child's BMI. If your child's BMI rises a lot over one year, your child may be at risk of becoming overweight.
Diagnosis involves the steps that a healthcare professional takes to find out if your child has obesity. A healthcare professional calculates your child's BMI and figures out where it falls on a standard growth chart.
Your child's healthcare professional uses the growth chart to find out how your child's weight compares with that of other children of the same sex and age. This is called your child's BMI percentile. For example, a child in the 80th percentile has a higher BMI than 80% of other children of the same sex and age.
Cutoff points on these growth charts mean the following:
BMI doesn't take into account factors such as being muscular or having a larger than average body frame. What's more, growth patterns vary greatly among children. So, the healthcare professional also factors in your child's growth and development to help find out whether your child's weight is a health concern.
Along with BMI and charting weight on the growth charts, the healthcare professional looks at:
Your child's healthcare professional also might do blood tests. These may include:
Ask if your child needs to stop eating or drinking for a certain number of hours before a blood test. This is called fasting.
Treatment for childhood obesity is based on factors such as your child's age and whether your child has other health conditions. Treatment usually includes changes in your child's eating habits and physical activity level. The key is to make these healthy changes over time and help your child follow them long term. Sometimes, treatment also includes medicines or weight-loss surgery.
Experts recommend that treatment include a mix of the following:
In some areas, these treatments are offered in the form of classes that children and parents attend together. Or parents might go to such classes and apply what they've learned at home. When these classes aren't available, your child's healthcare professional may need to work with you to arrange key parts of the treatment plan. These parts include visits with a dietitian and more-regular healthcare visits that are focused on supporting healthy habits and goals.
Your child's healthcare professional likely will set healthy eating and physical activity goals for your family and your child. Any goal for your child's weight is tailored to:
Remember, success with treatment partly depends on how committed you are to helping your child make long-term healthy changes. Understand that your child is still growing. And be aware that healthy-lifestyle changes can benefit your child and family in ways that the scale may not or cannot show.
Parents are the ones who buy groceries, cook meals and decide where the food is eaten. Even small changes can make a big difference in your child's health.
A key part of reaching and staying at a healthy weight is physical activity. It burns calories, and strengthens bones and muscles. It also helps children sleep well at night and stay alert during the day. Good habits during childhood help teens stay at healthy weights. Plus, active children are more likely to become fit adults.
To help your child become more active:
Your child's healthcare professional may prescribe medicine to help with weight loss if diet and exercise alone aren't enough. Medicines that can help manage childhood obesity need to be used along with healthy eating and more movement. The type of medicine that might be right for your child depends on factors such as your child's age and cause of obesity. Medicines that may boost weight loss include:
Ask about the side effects of any medicine that your child's healthcare professional recommends.
Weight-loss surgery might be an option for some teens with severe obesity. Your teen's healthcare professional may recommend the surgery if diet changes and physical activity alone don't help enough. As with any type of surgery, there are risks and possible long-term complications. Talk with your teen's healthcare professional about the pros and cons of weight-loss surgery.
The healthcare professional may recommend surgery if your teen's weight poses a greater health threat than do the risks of surgery. Before weight-loss surgery, it's important to meet with a team of specialists, including:
Surgery may be a treatment option that you support, but your teen needs to decide whether or not to get it. If your teen chooses to get weight-loss surgery, encourage the rest of your family to support the choice.
Weight-loss surgery isn't a miracle cure. It doesn't guarantee that a teen will lose extra weight or be able to keep it off long term. And surgery doesn't replace the need for a healthy diet and regular physical activity.
Parents play a key role in helping children feel loved and in control of their weight. So try to build your child's self-esteem as often as you can. Don't be afraid to bring up the topic of health and fitness. Also, be direct and open when you talk with your child. Try not to judge or be critical.
You can use the following tips:
Your child's healthcare professional likely will be first to tell you whether your child's BMI is in the obese range. If your child has complications of obesity, you might be referred to other specialists to help manage these health concerns.
Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment.
When you make the appointment, ask if there's anything your child needs to do ahead of time. For instance, your child may have to stop eating or drinking for a certain number of hours before a test. Before the healthcare checkup, make a list of:
Questions to ask your child's healthcare professional.
Bring a family member or friend along if you can. This person can help you remember all the information you're given.
For childhood obesity, some basic questions to ask your child's healthcare professional include:
Feel free to ask other questions.
Your child's healthcare professional is likely to ask you questions about your child's eating and activity, including:
If you have days or weeks before your child's appointment, keep a record of what your child eats and how active your child is.