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 is obese or 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. 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Food and Nutrition Service Pediatric Obesity and Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Specifics Organic Causes of Weight Gain and Obesity American Academy of Pediatrics Journal Articles Obesity in Children Children What “Being Overweight” Means Nemours Foundation Latest News School-Based ‘Overweight Warnings’ May Not Keep Girls Slim HealthDay School Breakfast Programs Vital, Even If Some Kids Also Eat at Home HealthDay ‘Fat Shaming’ Begins in First Grade HealthDay Obesity in Teens Seems to Raise Risk for Illness, Death in Middle Age HealthDay Weight Loss Surgery May Boost Good Cholesterol in Obese Boys HealthDay Toddlers’ Sweet Tooth a Weight-Gain Danger, Study Confirms HealthDay Rates of Severe Obesity Among U.S. Kids Still Rising HealthDay If Younger Sibling Arrives Before 1st Grade, Kids Less Likely to Be Obese HealthDay Nagging Your Kids about Weight Might Backfire HealthDay Child’s Obesity Tied to Mom’s Pregnancy Weight HealthDay Hormone May Be Linked to Teenage Obesity HealthDay
