Talking to Your Doctor
Take Action to Live a Healthy Life:
Partner With Your Doctor to Fight Childhood Obesity
Talking to a child about being overweight can be challenging for parents. This is especially tough for parents who struggle with their own weight. And, some parents might not realize that overweight children face serious health risks now and in the future. Many also hope that their child will simply "grow out of it."
Sadly, many American children are not "growing out of it." Consider these facts:
- Nearly one in three kids or teens in America is currently overweight or obese
- One in three children born after the year 2000 will develop diabetes, partly due to diet
- Obese children and adolescents are more likely to be obese adults.
The good news is that it is possible to win the fight against childhood obesity. By partnering with your child’s physician you can develop a plan of action that will make it easy and fun for your child to eat healthier, become more physically active, and develop healthy habits that they can carry throughout their lives.
Body mass index: A good way to talk to kids about change
Body mass index (BMI) is a calculation based on height and weight that takes age and gender into account. Your child's doctor can give you a healthy range for your child. The doctor can also let you know what a high body mass index means to your child's health. You can calculate your child's body mass index at www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi.
Using the body mass index helps parents talk to their kids about a healthy body. It avoids the distress that can arise when kids compare their weight with the weights of siblings and friends.
Developing a Family Plan
BMI is one measure that helps identify a weight problem. Once a problem is identified, however, it’s important to partner with your child’s physician to create a healthy living plan. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation offers these questions to help guide the discussion with your caregiver and formulate your plan:
- What’s next?: If your child is overweight or obese, your physician may want to do more tests to assess your child’s risk for additional health problems.
- History Test: Tell the physician if there is a history of disease in your family — particularly if it is weight-related (diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol).
- How can our family eat healthier?: Talk about your family’s diet. Discuss specific changes you can make to eat healthier.
- What kind of activity is good for my child?: Your physician should know the types of activities that are best for different ages and fitness levels.
- What else should we consider?: In addition to eating healthy and increasing physical activity, your physician may suggest other changes such as cutting back on TV time or eating more meals at home.
Early Intervention is Key
Health habits learned in childhood can help pave the way to a lifetime of good health. Consider, for example, that obesity is a preventable risk factor for chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, asthma and heart disease. Your focus on working with your physician to create a healthy living plan is one of the greatest gifts you can offer your growing child.
Additional Resources
For additional information, resources and tips on preventing childhood obesity please visit www.healthiergeneration.org or www.intelihealth.com.
