Don’t Be in Denial…is Childhood Obesity in your House?

My hubby and I went to the mall this past weekend.  As we were walking around, the mall was filled with a lot of overweight children and teenagers.  And what was even more disheartening was to see teenage girls with stomachs so big, we couldn’t tell if they are overweight or pregnant!  This got me mad because this overweight problem with children is preventable!  We can do more but I can’t figure out why we won’t.  I was talking with a dear friend about my frustrations and she posed a very serious question to me (see my Question and Answer section below).

I love the fact that our very own first lady, Michelle Obama, has generated a lot of attention toward childhood obesity.  We as parents have got to be more diligent in doing all we can to prevent our children from looking like this.  This picture is NOT what a child’s body should look like.  But unfortunately, this has become the norm and many people are not phased by it or are not doing enough to eradicate this problem.

In my last article, I talked about your BMI (Body Mass Index) and how you can calculate it on your own to determine if your weight status is underweight, normal, overweight, or obese.  Well, in this week’s article, I want to take it to the next level.  I want you to take some measurements to determine your child’s status.  But the question is, will you be courageous enough?

BMI can be easily calculated by dividing your child’s weight (in pounds) by their height (in inches) squared and multiplying that number by 703.  As an example, if your child’s weight is 175 pounds and their height is 5’4”, their BMI would be [175 ÷ (64)2] x 703 = 30.0.  Once you calculate their BMI, use the table below to determine their weight status.

BMI                    Weight Status

Below 18.5                Underweight

18.5—24.9                         Normal

25.0—29.9                  Overweight

30.0 and Above                    Obese

The reality of this is…the numbers don’t lie…the size of their body really does matter too!  About 32% of children and adolescents are obese or overweight.  Almost 20% of children ages 6 to 11 and 18% of those ages 12 to 19 are obese.  Such children are at a greater risk for weight-related health problems such as high cholesterol and diabetes, and they have an increased chance of becoming obese adults.

I strongly recommend that you take your child to the doctor.  MAKE THE DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENT TODAY!!!  The doctor can perform a physical to determine if your child is currently pre-diabetic or have other conditions.  PLEASE, for the sake of your child, don’t be in denial…take your child to the doctor.

We’ve got to be more diligent in helping our kids NOT be in the situation of poor health so early in their lives.  This is the very first time that health experts are predicting that parents will outlive their children because this generation of kids are getting weight-related illnesses at younger ages. 

I applaud those women who come to me with advice on how to encourage their children to eat better foods.  Just like with anything else, it all starts in the home.  It’s about addressing the foods that you allow your child to eat and not to eat.  It’s about identifying what types of foods are you bringing into the house and it’s about the types of foods that you are buying when you are on-the-go.  If you need help in this area, please contact me.  Not only am I qualified to coach you in healthy eating, I have two toddlers of my own and I choose to feed healthy foods.  Reach out to me…I am here to help you!

I would love for you to join the conversation.  Please comment below if you think size really matters?