By Bianca Grover

According to the CDC, childhood obesity for kids between ages two and 19 years old is 18.5%. That affects approximately 13.7 million children. Childhood obesity can lead to health complications such as diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and chronic joint pain. This could all be avoided through proper nutrition and physical activity.

Reducing Childhood Obesity (2-9)

Physical activity should be encouraged in children, usually in the form of play. Because children have such short attention spans, it is important to keep whatever activity they are doing engaging and fun. The family is also encouraged to join in in order to promote a feeling of belonging.

Children should choose the length and intensity of playtime. High-intensity and low-intensity play can be mixed together. This is especially important for children with obesity, as they may become fatigued more easily. It is important to mention that children as young as 8 can try resistance training within reason and under direct supervision for safety. Younger, overweight children and children with obesity should not be put on a restrictive diet, but should instead eat healthy, balanced meals and remain physically active.

Reducing Obesity in Adolescents (10-19)

As children grow into adolescents, their physical activity should become more structured, but should still be fun. Sports and resistance training should be combined for multiple health and fitness benefits. A variety of equipment can be used under the guidance of a fitness professional to ensure proper form is executed. Continuously changing the type of physical activity helps to prevent overuse injuries and encourage the development of motor skills.

Physical activity and resistance training requires proper fuel which can be a challenge for picky eaters. Kids need plenty of protein for muscle repair, just like adults do.

General nutrition recommendations for children and adolescents include mostly whole grains as opposed to refined sugars, nutrient-dense vegetables and whole fruits as opposed to juices in order to avoid an excess amount of sugar. Lean meat and beans products are preferred instead of higher-fat meats. Moderately active children need about 200 additional calories per day. Very active children require anywhere between 200 to 400 calories more then the basic recommendations.

For overweight or obese adolescents, slightly more aggressive weight loss strategies such as caloric restriction and higher levels of physical activity can be adopted, based on the age. Do not attempt caloric restriction unless you’ve talked to a physician first.

The bottom line is promoting healthy lifestyle behaviors is necessary to prevent one of the worst epidemics of our lifetime: obesity. If you have any questions about the topics covered in this article, or any concerns about childhood obesity, feel free to contact me.