How to Prevent Obesity in Children

Overweight and obese children and teens need help eating healthier foods and getting quality sleep and exercise, just like everyone does. Here's what you can do. 

Your child should be weighed during every doctor’s visit. When the number is too high, there’s plenty you can do to prevent childhood obesity.

Even though plump children are common, don’t ignore the problem. Some 20 percent of American children and teenagers between the ages of 2 and 19 can be classified as obese, according to reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which means their weight has become a health risk.

At 12 and up, the figure jumps to 22 percent. “It sneaks up on people,” says pediatrician Stephen Pont, MD, of the Texas Center for Public Health Policy and Practice, who struggled with his weight as a child.

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After the age of one, if a girl’s waist is more than 60 percent of her height, both measured in inches, she’s “at risk of having the metabolic complications of overweight,” says Frank Biro, MD, who studies and treats teenagers at Cincinnati’s Children’s Hospital Medical Center.

Effects of childhood obesity

Childhood obesity can lead to heart disease, type 2 diabets, asthma, and sleep problems, and make kids vulnerable to bullying. Don’t fool yourself that your child will outgrow baby fat. Baby fat in children ages 2 to 6 can be a predictor of future obesity.

You might wonder whether an overweight child has a genetic or hormonal problem that should be treated. A guideline from the Endocrine Society, which represents doctors who treat hormonal problems, offers clues:

1. Children who are at around the right height for their age and have grown at a normal rate do not need tests for endocrine disorders simply because they are obese.
2. You also don’t need to routinely test their fasting blood-sugar levels, as doctors do with heavy adults. In children, the test won’t be meaningful.
3. Children should be evaluated in other ways for diabetes if their body mass index shows that they are heavier than 15 percent of all children in their age group.
4. About 7 percent of all extremely obese children have a genetic problem. If your child became obese before the age of 5 and the family has a history of extreme obesity or shows unusual eating patterns, ask for a hormone test.

How to prevent obesity in children

For the most part, overweight and obese children need help eating more healthily and getting quality sleep and exercise — just like everyone else does.

Parents can make a big difference if they change some family habits.

Limit time with gadgets

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents to establish screen-free zones in children's bedrooms and limit children and teens to one or two hours a day of TV or video games. Kids tend to snack when they’re sitting around glued to a screen.

Encourage exercise

Children ages 3 to 5 should be active throughout the day; those who are 6 to 17 need at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. The CDC recommends that they engage in muscle and bone-strengthening activities like skipping rope, gymnastics, and push-ups.

Parents should also encourage kids to walk or bike rather than drive them to school or after-school activities.

Make sure your children get quality sleep

Restless or short nights can lead to weight gain.

Aim for at least five portions a day of fruits and vegetables

Keep fruits and vegetables readily available, and keep forbidden snacks out of your house. Substitute water for soda and fruit juice, although you may need to have your children cut back gradually.

Establish good eating habits as a family

Eating dinner together at the table is always a good idea. In restaurants, set a good example to teach your children from an early age to order less. Share appetizers, entrees, and desserts rather than ordering one of each for each person — or skip the appetizer and dessert altogether. Decline the breadbasket.

Empower overweight pre-teens or teenagers

Shame doesn’t work, but self-awareness does. Your child might benefit from keeping a food or activity diary or using an electronic tracker. Encourage small, steady changes, and discourage binge diets or drastic exercise.

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