Obesity, which means having an excessive amount of body fat, has become a serious problem among children and adolescents. Approximately 16 percent of young people aged 6 to 19 years are now overweight. Many health problems that used to be associated only with overweight adults are now being seen in young people due to obesity. A unique factor in childhood obesity as a preventable illness is that children themselves have little control over two major causes of the problem: diet and exercise.
THE ROLE OF PARENTS
Parents provide the base from which a child’s habits stem. What you as a parent eat, the amount of time you spend being active, and the tools you provide your child regarding health and fitness sets the tone for the choices they will make for years to come. They have very little choice, if any, pertaining to what they eat for breakfast, what is packed in their lunch (or given to them for hot lunch), or what they eat as their last meal of the day. It is up to the parent to teach through example. Children raised on McDonald’s are more likely to raise their own children on McDonald’s, which continues this grave cycle.
WHAT CARING MEDICAL CAN DO TO HELP
Being overweight as a child can be an excruciating experience. It is up to parents to guide and educate their children on proper nutrition and the benefits of physical activity. Here at Caring Medical many people get Hauser Diet Typing for various reasons, including weight problems. Although the majority of our Diet Typing patients are adults, this test is not adult specific, and could be very beneficial for children who are already having weight/health issues. It includes a Modified Glucose Tolerance Test, which tests to see how fast you metabolize food, and a NOVA panel, which tests for blood pH. Diet Typing provides us the information needed to determine a proper diet for patients. When eating for one’s metabolic type, an overweight person is able to increase his or her metabolic rate, thus speeding up metabolism and losing weight. We can educate you and your children on a healthy lifestyle!
THE NEXT STEP
The best thing would be for you as the parent to see for yourself how things are done at Caring Medical. Set up a consultation with one of our physicians, they can explain and answer any of your questions. From there you can determine if this is the right path for your family.
Not sure if your child falls in the obese category? Try this. The most common tool used in medical settings to determine whether a person is overweight or obese is the body mass index (BMI), a calculation* that uses height and weight. A BMI of 25 to 29.9 is considered overweight, and a BMI of 30 or more is considered obese. Figure out what your children’s BMI is and if you have concerns give CMRS a call. Let us help you to stop the problem before it’s too late!
HOW TO FIGURE OUT A BODY MASS INDEX (BMI)
BMI =
(Weight in Pounds / (Height in inches) x (Height in inches)) x 703
For example: HEIGHT: four feet tall (48 inches)
WEIGHT: 100 pounds
100 divided by 2304 (48 x 48 = 2304) = 0.0434
0.0434 x 703 = 30.51 = Obese
