It Takes a Family to Address Obesity

Story originally published in Cincinnati Parent.

It seems like everyone is talking about childhood obesity epidemic. While problem may be a child’s weight, the solution must come from the entire family.

The Different Facets Body Mass Index (BMI)

• Body mass index (BMI) is a measure used to determine childhood overweight and obesity.
• Overweight is defined as a BMI at or above the 85th percentile and below the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex.
• Obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex.

How Is BMI Calculated?

BMI is calculated by dividing a person's weight in kilograms by the square of height in meters. For children and teens, BMI is age- and sex-specific and is often referred to as BMI-for-age.

A child's weight status is determined using an age- and sex-specific percentile for BMI rather than the BMI categories used for adults. This is because children's body composition varies as they age and varies between boys and girls. Therefore, BMI levels among children and teens need to be expressed relative to other children of the same age and sex.

Various factors can influence the likelihood of a child becoming overweight. Genetics amounts to just one percent of those factors. The rest comes from environmental considerations.

Obesity is not a problem that can be resolved overnight or even in a few weeks. As a family you can:

1. Identify the Problem

Your pediatrician will take your child’s height and weight to calculate a BMI to determine if your child is underweight, healthy weight, overweight or obese. The doctor will help you address any health issues.

2. Look at Your Lifestyle, Nutrition and Physical Activity

Children look to parents as role models. Take a family approach to making healthy changes for everyone rather than isolating the problem to your child.

3. Start with a Simple Approach

Look at the food available in the house, outside eating, TV time, physical activity time. Make changes like:

• Replace high energy snacks with fruit ( not juice) and vegetables
• Decrease screen time, including limited time with computers and video games
• Increase physical activities and spend some time outdoors

Pediatricians often use 5-2-1-0 to help families remember the healthy approach to life:

• 5  daily servings of vegetables and fruits a day
• 2  hours or less of screen time ( older children do not count homework)
• 1  hour of physical exercise
• 0 consumption of calorie- containing drinks and fast food

Our approach as a society and as families must be proactive in a positive way without focusing a harsh spotlight on an overweight child. We need to create an environment that makes healthy living the standard.

Samina Ahmed, MD is a pediatrician at TriHealth/Group Health, she sees patient at the West Chester office.