With a new school year up on and the nice weather still around, now is the time for parents to take a moment to really look at their kids and be very realistic about their weights. Now isn’t the time to be unrealistic and continue the same old excuses or euphemisms such as “his dad was big as a kid.” Or “she just has a little baby fat hanging around.” Or “I don’t see a problem”, when you are buying extra large clothes or young adult clothes for a child who is 10, 11, 12 or even 13.
You may be thinking “but, they are just kids. They have their entire live to deal with this.” Not so. The longer a person is overweight, or obese, the longer health issues develop such as heart disease, back problems, high blood pressure and diabetes. If you have a child who is overweight to any degree, your child may eat healthy and be athletic, but your child is really not healthy. Being overweight at any age is just not healthy and that is what we all have to wrap our minds around and figure out how to deal with and address with our kids.
As if all those other health problems are not serious enough, we can now add another very major health problem to the list: liver disease. MSNBC recently reported that 2-5% of kids over the age of 5 who are obese or overweight are developing liver disease from having excess fat in their bodies. And, some of these kids are ending up with cirrhosis requiring liver transplants.
The good news is this is reversible with weight loss and can be caught by a simple blood test. But, weight loss is the real key to success. Weight loss is the only way to get a body that has been overweight healthy, inside and out. If the weight doesn’t come off during childhood, these problems, including liver disease, end up developing during adult life.
As far as liver disease goes, this part of the MSNBC article says it best:
“Experts blame obesity, with about two-thirds of all Americans overweight. With fatty liver disease becoming more common in adults, many experts predict it will become the top cause of liver transplants by 2020.” But, as the article points out, there are not enough livers for everyone who will need them and liver transplation is no easy surgery to get through.
So, act today. Any small step you take today, will help your overweight child be healthier tomorrow. Here are the first three steps you need to take to help your child get to a healthier weight and have a full, productive and, hopefully, health problem-free life:
1. Find community weight loss plans geared towards overweight kids and teens
2. Call your pediatrician to make an appointment and address any health issues your child’s current weight may be causing
3. Talk to your child. Overweight kids know they have a weight problem . They need you to take the first step and help bring up the topic and figure out what to do. If you look the other way, they will, too.
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