Obesity in children, overweight in children, Medical Information Center for Kids, Fun and education, medical home

clocc.net Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children
clocc.net Find Overweight Management Programs in Community
Reach In! Reach Out! Chicago Children’s Diabetes Prevention, the University of Chicago
Pediatric & Adolescent Weight Management Project University of Illinois Medical Center 312-413-5655 NewHope Team
Pediatric Endocriology Clinic the University of Chicago Comer Children Hospital
Eating Disorder Program Contact Information Psychiatry, the University of Chicago

Recreation and Fitness Centers

www.chicagoparkdistrict.com-fitness Fitness Center
For children/teens, membership $40-75/ 3mo session
www.chicagoparkdistrict.com Chicago Park District
www.ymcachgo.org YMCA For all ages, indoor/outdoor fitness, sports, swimming, gym
www.gojcc.org Jewish Community Center of Chicago
For young children
www.my-gym.com My Gym Children's Fitness Center, Ages 3mo-9yo, sports, gymnastics, games, dance, music
www.thelittlegym.com The Little Gym Classes
Ages 4mo-12yo, gymnastics, karate, sports skills...

Online Information for Children, Teens, and Parents

Diagnosis: Assessing Weight
www.cdc.gov About BMI www.cdc.gov BMI calculation
www.nhlbisupport.com BMI calculate and adult normal range
www.cdc.gov/growthcharts Your child’s growth curve

Prevention and Treatment: Balancing Calories
www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity A balance of calories in and out
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health Energy balance
www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines Calories
www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid Food plan for kids
www.webmd.com/diet/guide Eating essentials
http://www.sparkpeople.com/ online free diet plan for family
www.mypyramid.gov/preschoolers For preschooler, MyPyramide.gov
www.americanheart.org Dietary recommendations for children
www.americanheart.org Exercise and children

Overweight 101 FunEdu
www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/children Tips for parents
www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing weight Establish good eating habit
www.win.niddk.nih.gov Tips for parents
www.mayoclinic.com/print Make weight loss a family affair
www.webmd.com/diet/guide 5 nutrients your child may be missing

What is obesity?

Childhood obesity occurs when children gain more weight than what is needed to support their growth and development, and when a child is well above the normal weight for their height and age. It is a serious problem because it can lead to numerous health problems – diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol to name a few – that were once diseases of adulthood.

Formally it is defined by a child’s Body Mass Index ( BMI ):

BMI for age between 85th and 94th percentiles: overweight
BMI for age at 95th percentile or above: obesity
Find out your child’s BMI : childhood BMI calculator - http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/

What health problems does obesity cause?
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/obe/obe_risks.html
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/index.htm

The complications of obesity are multiple and dangerous. There are not only immediate health related consequences but also later ones which build up into adulthood.

Heart disease
Type 2 diabetes
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Abnormal blood fats (cholesterol, triglycerides)
Metabolic syndrome
Stroke
Depression

Eating disorders
Abnormal menses and infertility
Sleep apnea and respiratory problems
Liver and gallbladder disease
Risk for cancers - colon, breast, endometrial, gallbladder
Low self esteem and social discrimination
Poor academic and work performance

When should one be concerned about their child’s weight?

Not every child carrying extra pounds is obese and the BMI can sometimes also be misleading. A person with a muscular build will have a higher BMI because muscle mass is more dense. Some children have larger body frames, and children carry different amounts of body fat at different stages of development. If you are concerned that your child is overweight or gaining weight rapidly, talk to his or her pediatrician who will provide a complete assessment based on individual growth history, family growth history, and where the child stands on growth charts.

Plot your child’s growth curve: http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/

What are the causes?

In the general population, lifestyle habits – eating and lack of physical activity – are the main causes of weight gain. Although there are some genetic and hormonal influences that could predispose a child to being overweight, the majority of excess weight is due to children eating too much and exercising too little.

What are the risk factors for obesity?

Diet- eating too much
Inactivity- exercising too little
Genetics

Psychological factors
Family factors
Socioeconomic factors

Childhood obesity has markedly increased from 1976 to 2006

According to the CDC’s NHANES survey: http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/childhood/prevalence.htm
For children between 2 and 5, obesity prevalence has increased from 5.0% to 12.4%
For children 6 to 11, prevalence has increased from 6.5 to 17.0%
For children 12 to 19, prevalence increased from 5.0 to 17.6%

How can it be treated? Balancing calories

Parents exert control over what their children eat and can have a tremendous influence just by making little changes. Moreover, by setting a good example of eating well and exercising regularly, parents can become models of health themselves while positively influencing children.
In addition to helping children lose weight, physical activity improves health by strengthening bones, improving self esteem, decreasing stress and anxiety, and lowering blood pressure.
Other options that do not replace the need for exercise and eating well are medications and weight loss surgery. Sibutramine is approved for adolescents over 16 and allows the brain to feel full more quickly. Orlistat is approved for adolescents over 12 and prevents fat absorption in the gut.

Helpful resources and websites

General Information
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html Healthy lifestyle
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/index.htm Obesity
http://www.mypyramid.gov/ Healthy lifestyle
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/childhood/index.htm Childhood obesity
http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/childhood-obesity/DS00698/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all Childhood obesity
http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/nutrition/overweight_obesity.html Childhood obesity
kidshealth.org Childhood obesity

Diagnosis: Assessing weight
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/childrens_bmi/about_childrens_bmi.html About BMI
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/assessing/bmi/index.html BMI calculate for child, teen, and their parents
http://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/ Your child’s growth curve

Prevention and Treatment: Balancing calories
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/contributing_factors.htm A balance of calories in and out
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/learn-it/balance.htm Energy balance
http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/healthieryou/html/chapter5.html Calories
http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/index.aspx Food plan for kids
http://www.sparkpeople.com/ online free diet plan for family
http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/healthy-eating-and-diet-eating-essentials Eating essentials
http://www.mypyramid.gov/preschoolers/index.html For preschooler, from MyPyramide.gov
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4575 Dietary recommendations for children
ttp://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4596 Exercise and children

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/children/index.html Tips for parents
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/eating_habits.html Establish good eating habit
http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/child.htm#howare Tips for parents
http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/childhood-obesity/FL00058/METHOD=print Make weight loss a family affair
http://www.webmd.com/diet/guide/5-nutrients-your-child-may-be-missing 5 nutrients your child may be missing

Recreation and Fitness Centers
http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/ http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/resources/fitness_centers/index.html Chicago Park District Fitness Center
For children and teens, membership rates range from $40-$75 for a three-month session
http://www.ymcachgo.org/index.php YMCA
for all ages, i ndoor and outdoor fitness, sports, swimming, gym space, tots and child life facility
http://www.gojcc.org/content/view/621/430 Jewish Community Center of Chicago
Young children, recreation, sports gym, outdoor playground, open gyms
http://www.my-gym.com/classes_independent.aspx My Gym Children's Fitness Center
Ages 3mo-9yo, sports, gymnastics, games, relays, rides, dance, and music
http://www.thelittlegym.com/Pages/default.aspx The Little Gym -Classes
Ages 4mo-12yo, gymnastics, karate, sports skills and more
http://www.chicagotraveler.com Chicago Travler

For physicians
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/obesityinchildren.html Childhood obesity
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/index.html Healthy lifestyle
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/childhood/index.htm Childhood obesity
http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines/ Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005
http://www.mypyramid.gov/ Healthy lifestyle
http://www.iom.edu/?id=22704 Institute of Medicine of the National Academies: obesity prevention from school, parents, healthcare...
http://www.iom.edu/?id=5867 Institute of Medicine of the National Academies: Prevention of obesity in children and youth

Weight Loss Program Referral
http://www.clocc.net clocc: Cibsirtuum to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children
http://www.clocc.net/find/index.html Find Programs in Your Community
Reach In! Reach Out! Chicago Children’s Diabetes Prevention Program, the University of Chicago
http://uillinoismedcenter.org/content.cfm/newhope University of Illinois Medical Center 312-413-5655
Pediatric & Adolescent Weight Management Project
http://uillinoismedcenter.org/content.cfm/team_newhope Clinical team
http://www.uchicagokidshospital.org/specialties/endocrinology/our-clinics.html
The University of Chicago Pediatric Endocrinology Clinics
http://psychiatry.uchicago.edu/clinical/clinics/edp/ the University of Chicago Eating Disorder Program
http://psychiatry.uchicago.edu/contact.html contact information