Health and Wellness Blog

Over 26% of children and youth (1.6 million children) in Canada are considered overweight or obese. If the current trend continues, more than 46% of school-age children will be overweight or obese by 2010.  (source)

What is childhood obesity?
Obesity is a complex medical condition caused by a number of factors that are genetic, environmental, behavioural or social in origin.  A weight well above the average for a child's height and age is a sign of childhood obesity.  Children are considered "medically obese" when their weight poses health risks. The degree of obesity is often measured using the body mass index (BMI).

Which children are at risk of becoming overweight or obese?
Most overweight and obesity problems in childhood are caused by children eating too much and not exercising enough.  The Childhood Obesity Foundation lists a number of factors that put children at risk of becoming overweight. 

What can I do so that my child will not become obese?
Healthy habits should begin at home at an early age.  The Dietitians of Canada's Healthy Start for Life program is aimed at children aged 2-5.  For packing nutritious meals for school age children, look at their Healthy Lunches to Go suggestions.

The Childhood Obesity Foundation recommends a  5-2-1-0 strategy:

• 5 fruits and vegetables per day
• 2 hours of screen time or less per day
• 1 hour of physical activity per day
• 0 sugar sweetened beverage per day

Here are some paren'ting principles that you can adopt to help your child:

• Find reasons to praise your child's behaviour.
• Offer rewards for positive changes in behaviour. Never use food as a reward.
• Establish daily family meal and snack times.
• Determine what food is offered and when. Let your child decide whether to eat.
• Offer only healthy options.
• Remove temptations.
• Be a role model.
• Be consistent.  (source) 

How can I help manage my child's weight?
Here are some behaviour therapy techniques:

• Help your child keep a daily record of type and amount of food eaten, when, with whom, and where it was eaten. This helps your child and healthcare professional to recognize and eventually change eating behaviour patterns. For example, avoid eating while watching television, doing homework, or playing computer games.
• Teach your child cues to control appetite and schedule meals regularly.
• Identify activities that will divert attention from food.
• Avoid weighing your child more than once a week, and focus on the changes made in behaviour rather than on the numbers on the scale.
• Reinforce positive new behaviour by offering rewards — but avoid food rewards — for behaviour and not weight loss. (source)
• Medium- to high-intensity behavioural management programs have also proven effective to help obese children manage their weight. (source)

Susan Murray for Consumer Health Information Service, Toronto Public Library

Further reading

More information about childhood obesity:

• Childhood Obesity Foundation website
• Dietitians of Canada website
• Dietitians of Canada. Speaking of Food and Healthy Living, Paren'ts' Perspectives. (spring 2005)
• Health Canada.  Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide. (December 2007)
• HealthyOntario.  Childhood Obesity. (undated)

Background reports on childhood obesity:

• Ministry of Health Promotion.  Ontario's Action Plan for Healthy Eating and Active Living. (2006)
• 2004 Chief Medical Officer Report.  Healthy Weights, Healthy Lives. (2004)