Obesity in Children

Summary

Obesity means having too much body fat. It is different from being overweight, which means weighing too much. Both terms mean that a person’s weight is greater than what’s considered healthy for his or her height. Children grow at different rates, so it isn’t always easy to know when a child has obesity or is overweight. Ask your health care provider to check whether your child’s weight and height are in a healthy range.

If a weight-loss program is necessary, involve the whole family in healthy habits so your child doesn’t feel singled out. Encourage healthy eating by:

• Serving more fruits and vegetables
• Buying fewer soft drinks and high-fat, high-calorie snack foods
• Making sure your child eats breakfast every day
• Eating fast food less often
• Not using food as a reward

Physical activity is also very important. Kids need about 60 minutes each day. It does not have to happen all at once. Several short periods of activity during the day are just as good.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Diagnosis and Tests

• About Child and Teen BMI Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• How Are Obesity and Overweight Diagnosed? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• Obesity Screening National Library of Medicine
• Stature-for-Age and Weight-for-Age Percentiles: Boys, 2 to 20 Years National Center for Health Statistics
• Stature-for-Age and Weight-for-Age Percentiles: Girls 2 to 20 Years National Center for Health Statistics

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Balance Food and Activity National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
• Families Finding the Balance: A Parent Handbook National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
• Help Your Child Stay at a Healthy Weight Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
• Obesity Prevention: AAP Policy Explained American Academy of Pediatrics

Health Check Tools

• BMI (Body Mass Index) Calculator for Child and Teen Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Specifics

• Childhood Obesity Causes & Consequences Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Weight Management and Healthy Living Tips National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Statistics and Research

• Childhood Obesity Facts Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Obesity in Children National Library of Medicine

Teenagers

• Dealing With Feelings When You’re Overweight (For Teens) Nemours Foundation

Living With

• Emotional Toll of Obesity American Academy of Pediatrics

Find an Expert

• Find a Nutrition Expert Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• KidsHealth Nemours Foundation
• National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Patient Handouts

• Growth chart Medical Encyclopedia
• Obesity in children Medical Encyclopedia

Start Here

• Helping Your Child Achieve a Healthy Weight American Academy of Family Physicians
• Helping Your Child Who Is Overweight National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
• Overweight and Obesity (For Parents) Nemours Foundation

Genetics

• Proopiomelanocortin deficiency: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine

Journal Articles

• Obesity in Children

Treatments and Therapies

• Weight Control: MedlinePlus Health Topic National Library of Medicine
• Weight Loss Surgery: An Option for Teens? American Academy of Pediatrics

Children

• What “Being Overweight” Means (For Kids) Nemours Foundation