Preventing Weight Gain in Overweight Children

Childhood obesity is a serious and growing problem in the United States and around the world.  In the United States, recent statistics indicate that over 15% of children are obese and approximately 30% of kids are overweight or obese.  Various programs to reduce the incidence of childhood obesity have been developed, including a new federal program.

A new childhood obesity study has examined the effectiveness of a child-centered physical activity and a parent-centered dietary program for preventing weight gain in overweight children.  For this study researchers assigned 165 overweight or obese children (about 5 - 10 years of age) to one of three programs:  (1) a parent-centered dietary program, (2) a child-centered exercise program, or (3) a combination of the two programs.  As part of these programs, participants received 10 weekly in-person sessions followed by 3 monthly follow-up phone calls.

The results of this study showed that all three interventions successfully reduced average body mass index in study volunteers.  Of the three programs, the child-centered physical activity program reduced average body mass index scores the least, though the reductions were still substantial.  Both the parent-centered dietary program and the combination of the two programs resulted in greater reductions in the children's body mass index, nearly double the reduction observed in the child-centered physical activity program alone.  Overall, these study results indicate that child appropriate physical activity and dietary programs can be successfully employed to reduce body weight in overweight/obese children. 

Studies like this are important for the development of age-appropriate programs to reduce childhood obesity.  As this current study shows, these programs will generally require diet and exercise components and parental involvement.  Not only is it important for parents to provide healthy, nutrient-rich choices for children, it is just as important for parents to set a good example for their children by developing their own healthy eating and exercise habits.  One way to do this is to look for activities that can be done together like walking the family pet each evening after dinner or taking family bike rides.

Choosing healthy family snacks is another effective way to help reduce childhood obesity.  My soy protein chips are delicious tasting treats that provide high quality protein.  They make a great addition to your favorite trail mix recipe.