Is your child too fat?

Sorry, but a lot of the parents answering that question get it wrong when they say no.  In fact, a team at Derriford Hospital in Plymouth found that with children who were obese, nearly half of the parents thought their children were “about right”.  It seems that we are getting used to seeing overweight children as the norm and find it especially difficult to accept our child’s weight as being a problem.

If you want to know if your child is the correct weight for their age and height, you have to consult a Body Mass Index chart for children.  The method of calculating a child’s BMI is the same as for an adult but, crucially, how you rate that BMI is very different.

So you’ve checked the BMI chart and the answer to the first question is yes – should you be concerned?

Sorry again, but yes.  The bad news is that overweight children are more likely to be overweight adults and, on the way to adulthood, are at risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

And even though the numbers of overweight children have risen dramatically in recent times and continue to rise, these children are still seen as easy targets for bullying behaviour and often suffer from low self esteem.

OK but it’s not my fault, is it?

Sorry, sorry, sorry – yes.  No-one wants to say that and no-one wants to hear it but as Professor Sarah Stewart-Brown, from Warwick Medical School advises, “While children are responsible for what they put in their mouths, parents are responsible for what is put on their plates.”

We guide our children – if we try to or not – and they learn the good and the bad from us.  So whether we are providing too much food for a child, the wrong types of food or we are encouraging our children to eat past their appetites (see our article on parent messages for more on that) – ultimately, we as parents are responsible for what and how our children eat.

A child is not in a position to tackle a weight problem by himself, even if he had the knowledge and will to want to do it.

Is there any good news?

Good question – so glad you asked!  YES!!!!  There is a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

• Weight issues dealt with in childhood can give long lasting effects.
• Excess weight is easier to deal with in childhood than in adulthood.
• Children have access to cheaper and healthier food than in “the good old days”.

Scientists reckon that as we gain weight, the fat cells in our body fill out – no surprise there.  However, if we continually overeat, our fat cells may be unable to cope with further expansion and so the body has to create more fat cells to allow it store the additional fat.  The worst time for this to happen is during adolescence because that is when fat cells multiply most rapidly.

We cannot stop our body from doing this – we are programmed to hold on to everything we can.  The problem with extra fat cells is that they never go away.  Even if we lose all excess weight, those pesky fat cells will always be there, waiting for their opportunity to re-fill.

So how is that good news?

It is good news for children because if you can address their weight issues in childhood before the fat cells grow like crazy in the teenage years, your child will carry fewer fat cells into adulthood and will, therefore, be less prone to hanging on to every unwanted calorie and find it easier to maintain a healthy weight for life.

And why is it easier to deal with weight issues in children than adults?

Children have two magical qualities which make their excess weight easier to shift than grown-ups.  The first is a pound-eraser extraordinaire – activity.  True, this can be eroded by bad habits, and excess weight can make activity more like hard work but young children especially are naturally active.   Get kids moving and they will burn up the calories and make the pounds disappear.

The second magical quality is even more magic than the first because it is only available to a select group of humans, namely children.  It is the miracle of growth.  Whereas I have been known to claim that I am not overweight, I am just under-tall – with children it is actually true.

Adults have to eat less than their calorific requirements to lose weight but children can out-grow their weight simply by eating what their body requires on a daily basis.  This is where the myth of “puppy fat” started.  Children do not need to get chubby to grow but if they keep eating the same, a chubby child will get slimmer just by growing.  Unfortunately, some parents dismiss a child getting fat as only putting on “puppy fat” but fail to notice that the child is still fat as she grows.

I’m not an expert so how am I supposed to know how much my child needs to eat?

If you are feeding your child a well-balanced diet and they get plenty of exercise but are still over-weight, the most likely explanation is that their portion sizes are too big.

A rough guide to how much is a good portion size is to look at the child’s hand.  If their hand is half the size of yours, give the child half as much food as you.  Most parents tend to over-estimate the amount of food their child needs.

But how do you get kids to eat healthily?  It’s chips or nothing for mine.

LEARN TO SAY NO.  That might sound bossy but if your child was going to run in front of a bus would you find it hard to say no then?  So why excuse yourself from doing your duty on a day to day basis?  You have to protect the health of your child, even if it makes you unpopular.

You are in charge of what your child eats so it is you who decides what food comes in to the house and what is served up at mealtimes.  Of course there will be fights and tears and tantrums if unhealthy, addictive junk food is replaced by unfamiliar meals but all these things pass.  Stay strong and stick to your guns – remember why you do it.

BE A GOOD ROLE MODEL.  Why expect kids to eat salad if you eat kebabs and pizza?  Eat the same food – but not the same portions – and show your enjoyment.  If you experiment with different food, you can expect your children to do the same and it might even be fun!  Not only that, but if you are improving your diet, you can share in the health benefits.

Haven’t you heard of the credit crunch?  Healthy food is expensive and I’m broke.

Haven’t you heard of the discount supermarkets?  Pound for pound, junk food is expensive and if you can make the most of what is in season or on special offer, you will save a packet and be able to buy healthily and wisely.