Implementing the Treatment of Childhood Obesity

Once you know that your child is overweight or obese than you can explore the treatment of childhood obesity.

This treatment is simple to say but hard to implement in your child.

What is the treatment?

Motivation to lose weight is the key to success for your child.

This success will only be achieved if:

• Your child is motivated to lose weight.
• Your child takes personal response voted for their dietary habits and
• Your child participates in an exercise program.

Do not force your child to seek help.

Children who are forced by their parents to seek help:

• Will not be motivated.
• Become rebellious and
• Will be unwilling to control their dietary intake.

What you want to do is to focus your approach unhealthy eating habits and enjoyable exercises for the entire family as a unit.

This approach is likely to be more successful.

• Diet.
• Exercise
• Behavioral therapy.
• Group involvement.
• Medical therapies.

• Provide weight maintenance or slow, steady weight loss.
• Meet the child's nutrient, energy, and growth needs.
• Help the child avoid feelings of hunger.
• Preserve lean body mass and
• Increase physical activity.

Remember, obesity is usually a lifelong problem.

It is best to provide your child with a diet that teaches healthier eating habits.

Because weight loss will occur only when your child burns more calories than they consume, physical activity in the form of regular scheduled exercise should be increased over your child usual activity.

This is an integral part of a weight reduction program.

Your child's activity should be those that stress self-improvement rather than those that stress competition.

Teens especially, will need continued psychological support and encouragement to participate in healthy exercise.

The most successful method in the treatment of childhood obesity is diet and exercise combined with a behavior modification program.

• Eliminate inappropriate eating habits.
• Help your child solve the problem of overeating and
• Place the focus on the social and behavioral aspects surrounding food consumption; not all the food itself.

Children in weight reduction programs find that support and mutual reinforcement given by a group of children their own age help them to adjust to the changes they need to make to become successful.

• Summer camps ran by healthcare professionals.
• School groups led by school nurses and
• Church groups.

These groups are concerned not only with a weight loss, but also with the development of a positive self-image.

As a registered nurse, I do not support the use of appetite suppressant drugs for children.

These drugs should only be used for adult obesity issues.

I also do not support surgical intervention for children unless absolutely, positively, necessary.

These surgeries can lead to multiple metabolic complications.

As your child progresses through the treatment of childhood obesity, please give them your love and support.

It is extremely difficult for your child.

Will you start today?