Obesity in America

Discussing weight, food and activity issues with your older child or teen

Below are some tips I’ve gathered from various experts and research studies regarding older kids and teens when it comes to activity, nutrition and weight. Hopefully some will help you out. Love your child: You know that you still love your child in spite of unhealthy habits, but make sure your child knows this too [...]

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Quick dos and don’ts when discussing food and exercise with your older child or teen

Discussing food and activity with older kids and teens is difficult on many levels. However, experts note that hard or not, you shouldn’t ignore it if your teen is overweight, eats poorly or is inactive. Acknowledging these issues is important because you do want your child to be healthy and also avoiding it may result in [...]

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Why bring up healthy lifestyle choices with older kids and teens?

There are more overweight teens and older kids in the U.S. than ever before, and their numbers are growing. It’s not just about numbers on the scale either. Plenty of skinny or average sized older kids and teens have unhealthy eating and activity habits as well. Later we’ll look at how you can start the [...]

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How to beat childhood obesity denial

Lately, we’ve been talking about weight denial. If you missed a post, get caught up below… Majority of parents practice childhood obesity denial Why are parents in denial when it comes to childhood weight issues? Why Beat Denial? If you have an inkling that your child may be overweight or if a doctor has mentioned [...]

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Study shows that health problems related to childhood obesity are worse than previously thought

A new gigantic study from Johns Hopkins and UCLA, shows that childhood obesity may be a more serious issue than previously thought. The study involved 43,297 children aged 10 to 17. Researchers on the study assessed how the weights and heights of the children were associated (or not associated) with 21 different indicators of general health, psychosocial [...]

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Child food portions are excessive in the United States

Everyone seems to think junk food causes weight gain, but really too much of any food can cause excess weight. Your child may eat healthy foods like whole grains, fish and veggies but if portion sizes are too large, it may be a moot point. Healthy eating isn’t just about the type of food but [...]

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How weight problems affect teens differently than younger kids

18% of teens (kids ages 12-18) in the United States are obese. Many more (another 15%+) are overweight or on their way to becoming overweight. U.S. teens are more likely to be overweight than teens in 14 other industrialized countries. Signs your child is overweight or obese Is it really dangerous for teens to be overweight? Many overweight teens [...]

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Nearly one third of overweight adolescents see themselves as underweight or ‘about right’

Recently, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center released a study that showed that three in ten overweight teens believe they are actually underweight or “about right.” This was not based on a small study either; more than 65,000 high school students were included in this research, which is alarming to say the least. Nicholas M. Edwards, MD, [...]

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Is my child overweight?

If you’re concerned about your child’s health, then knowing if they’re at a healthy weight is important as excess weight really does pose health risks. Key point: weight is not all that matters when it comes to health Kids are always growing and changing, so sure, some do grow into their size. For example an overly [...]

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Is a chubby belly on kids and teens normal?

Excess belly weight, or what’s technically known as central obesity, is a new issue among kids and teens, and it’s not considered a normal part of development. Historically children and teens have had more active lifestyles than their parents, and typically have burned excess belly fat much better than their parents. Think back to your [...]