Stopping the Effects of Childhood Obesity

The effects of childhood obesity is the same for children as for adults.

If you do not stop them, then they will become major medical problems for your child.

• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Type 2 diabetes
• Glucose intolerance
• Hyperinsulinemia
• Coronary heart disease.

• Angina
• Congestive heart failure
• Stroke
• Gallstones
• Cholecystitis
• Gout
• Osteoarthritis
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Cancer
• Depression
• Eating disorders
• Distorted body image and
• Low self-esteem

Do not let your child become a victim of these effects of childhood obesity!

It is not too late.

You can make a difference in your child's life.

Know the causes of childhood obesity and how to prevent them such as:

• Genetics
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Poor diet
• Binge eating

• Eating healthy foods
• Making these lifestyle changes at a family unit
• Be a role model to your child, because your child learns from your behavior

• Giving your child three meals and one or two snacks per day
• Making sure your family eats breakfast
• By packing baby carrots or pretzels instead of potato chips in your child's lunchbox
• Make it a habit to add vegetables to your meals for dinner
• Cook with less fat
• Limit the amount of sugar in your child's diet
• Keep healthy snacks in the house such as fruits, vegetables, low-fat popcorn, low-fat yogurt or fat-free pudding
• Eat out at fast food restaurants less often
• Avoid eating in front of the TV
• Avoid giving your child food as a reward for good behavior
• Avoid keeping food from your child because of poor behavior

• Make sure your child gets at least one hour of moderate physical activity every day
• Limit your family's TV, video game and computer time
• Go outside and play with your child
• Make your child your exercise buddy

• By accepting and encouraging your child. Your child needs support, acceptance and encouragement from you.

• Tell your child that he or she has done well, when he or she has tried to be healthier or to be more active.
• Tell your child that you still except and care for him or her when he or she is having trouble with making changes.
• It may be too hard for your child to make too many changes all at once.
• Try making only a few changes at a time. For example, during one week, you could serve a healthy breakfast and take daily walks with your child.
• In the following weeks, you could add a new change each week.
• Focus on making lifestyle changes to improve the health of your whole family.
• Try not to focus these changes on your child because he or she is overweight.
• Teach your child not to use food as a way of handling stress or success.

Together, we can work together to stomp out these effects of childhood obesity.

Let's start today!