According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one of three children in the US is overweight or obese. Overweight children are at risk of developing serious and costly health problems that used to be primarily the province of middle age adults, such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.A recent CDC study found that 22 percent of overweight (and 43 percent of obese) young people had abnormal blood lipid levels, which are risk factors for heart disease. While it’s critical to focus attention on influences which impact childhood obesity outside the household, parental intervention is key. That can include making good choices about what goes on the grocery list and getting professional help when necessary. Parents can begin their own intervention programs, making changes that do not cost a lot of money and pay off in the long run.
“The family is the underutilized weapon in the fight against childhood obesity," says Dr. David Ludwig, director of the obesity program at Children’s Hospital Boston. Many children react well to change and will embrace healthy lifestyle planning if they get the message that by eating better they will have more energy to play sports and will see the doctor less often.
