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Obese Parents Can Keep Kids Healthy
Dear Reggie,
I am a 30 year old mother of a 4- year-old-boy and 6-year-old-girl. I am overweight and approaching the obesity limit based on my body mass index (BMI). My husband is a little overweight and carries some extra weight in his midsection. My parents are both overweight and my husband's family tends to be on the heavy side. Both kids carry a bit of a belly, but seem to be okay, so far. Are my kids doomed when it comes to their health based on their family history?
Thanks,
Mrs. Finley
Hello Mrs. Finley,
I would not worry about your kids having a bit of a belly at this age. If they were overweight all over, unable to play games at the playground or constantly lethargic, I would be concerned. As long as you ensure they stay active and instill in them healthy eating behaviours, they should be fine.
On the other hand, to ensure your kids break of the family pattern of being overweight, you need to be aware of cause and effect relationships theory of childhood obesity.
The Research
According to a study from Stanford University's School of Medicine, children of obese parents are at greatest risk of becoming overweight. One hundred and fifty children were included in the study, 74 boys and 76 girls. Researchers observed families from the day a child was born and measured factors including: the parents' weight the time of birth, the infant's weight, parent and child eating behaviours, the amount of child activity, the child's sleep time and the parents' concerns about their child's weight. By the age of nine and an half, 64 per cent of children with overweight parents were overweight, compared with 16 per cent of those of parents with a healthy a BMI.
Environment Is the Key
This type of research establishes a certain trend, but does not insist that over weight parents are destined to have overweight kids. Until we discover an obesity gene, we have to assume that your children are a product of the environment in which they are raised.
What Parents Need to Know
Understanding the major causes of childhood obesity is the best defense against a growing epidemic. Kids need a minimum 60 minutes-a-day of vigorous activity to maintain a healthy weight. For optimal health, they need to eat well-balanced meals, loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables and free of sugar and fat-filled snacks. Research has also found that obese kids sleep less than non-obese children.
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
4-19-2010 @ 2:14PM
Susan said...Oh, thank God for this article! Just the title brought such overwhelming relief. I thought that because I am overweight I would be forced to stuff fried foods into my children's mouthes followed by Mountain Dew and cookies while they vegged out in front of the television. Really? I can keep my kids healthy despite myself? Fat people are not idiots. And for anyone wanting to know, my children are skinny, active and eat a mostly vegetarian, organic diet.
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7-22-2010 @ 6:12PM
stefani cruz said...Hello my name is stefani and i have two sisters one age of 8 and the other one 5 they are a little heavy but still overweight i need help in how to talk to them about their weight, how to explain to them why they cant eat at certain hours or what to eat. How can i tell them no without hurting their selfesteem or tramatising them in their later years. Please Help
Thank you
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