Why Weight? The Dirty Dozen Contributors to Child Obesity

Are you worried about your child’s weight?  Confused by the advice you hear on TV, from the doctor, or from friends?  Unsure of how and where to start turning things around for your family?  Overwhelmed with the magnitude of it all?

Childhood obesity is complicated.  Any adult who has struggled with correcting lifelong behaviors and habits around eating and exercise knows how difficult a process this can be…and knows that many of these patterns began during childhood.  It’s no coincidence that the obesity epidemic marches on while the dieting industry continues to make billions of dollars! 

And while there is an abundance of research on the contributors to childhood obesity, it can be frustrating and confusing to translate these findings into healthy and effective family practices.  Childhood obesity is an accelerating problem in our country.  Many scientists, policy-makers, and health care professionals work diligently to curtail this epidemic, yet the problem persists.  Who is to take responsibility?  Parents?  Pediatricians?  Schools?  Media?  Everyone?  Nobody?  Somebody…YOU.

Why Weight? is a 12-part series for parents—the gatekeepers to the daily decisions made about food, eating, and activity for their families.  This series will dedicate itself to taking an in-depth look at the factors and behaviors that contribute to obesity in children.  My hope is that parents will be able to use this series as a guide to assess their own environment and family behaviors and make reasonable changes within their homes.   Why Weight? challenges all parents to raise their sensitivity and awareness levels with regard to what and how their child is eating and moving while taking the lead in making effective changes.  Every positive change helps promote your child’s health and helps prevent the development and progression of childhood obesity. There is nothing to lose but habits and behaviors that DO NOT WORK for your child’s overall health and well-being!

Why Weight?

The Dirty Dozen is a list based on my interactions with real children and teens who struggle with childhood overweight and obesity.  These commonalities ring true with many clients, and while individually, these contributors certainly have great impact, it is the combination of multiple factors that produce patterns of behaviors that support weight gain in children.

Each week I will focus on one childhood obesity contributor, so that you can focus on changing the factors that apply to you, one at a time.  Why Weight?

The Dirty Dozen (in no particular order):

1.  Drinking Soda 

2.  Use of Convenience Foods

3.  Daily Sugar Consumption

4.  Hidden & Obvious Fat Sources

5.  Hunger

6.  Balance and Rhythm of Meals and Snacks

7.  Not Enough Produce (Fruits & Vegetables)

8.  Too Much ”Screen Time”

9.  Activity (Structured vs. Unstructured)

10.  Portion Distortion

11.  Bad Habits Start Early (Sneaking, Hoarding, Skipping)

12.  The Magic of Mealtime

This series is not a replacement for the ongoing help, motivation, and monitoring your child will need if he/she is struggling with obesity and its complications.  Seek the expertise of a Registered Dietitian (RD)–and if you are lucky enough to have an RD that specializes in pediatrics, go for it!