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If we are serious about combating the childhood obesity epidemic and improving child nutrition, then everyone must chip in -- parents, schools, and yes even Congress.
-Tom Harkin-

Treatment & Prevention  
Childhood Obesity

Children in School Bus
3 Treatment Factor For Childhood Obesity

According to research on Chilhood Obesity in 1985 ( Leonard, Rena and Alice), a comprehensive program should include:

  1. An easy diet to produce weight to produce weight lost and promote growth

  2. Exercise program or physical activities to burn calories and improve fitness

  3. Behavioral treatment for training parents and obese children to ensure habit change

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Hide and Seek

School Based Intervention Problem

Current finding from Birch and Ventura in 2009 regard to school- based intervention program

  • Have little success

  • Most rigourous study tend to be least successful

  • Out of interventions that show significant effects, the effect size are small compare to current increase in obesity trend

  • Limited scope and focus in both shool intervention and school- aged children

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Classmates

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What schools can do?

  • Educating children in both nutrition and physcial education to teach skills for children to choose healthy lifestyle

  • Offer healthier food in cafeteria

  • Offer meals meet national nutrional standard

  • Give student adequate time to eat

  • Promote active recess time

  • Physcical education should engage student in high quality and regular activity

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Suggestion from Havard - School of Public Health

Family-based behavioral treament 

-The roles of parents in preventing childhood obesity-

  • For infant:

    • Look for the cues and respect the child’s appetite when they want to stop bottle

    • Reduce the risk of future weight issue by breast feeding and delay introduction solid food​

    • Should not be offered sweets as rewards for finish meal due to promote higher value on dessert food

  • For children and adolescents

    • Do not provide food for comfort or as a reward

    • Provide a healthy diet, with 30 percent or fewer calories derived from fat.

    • Limit amount of television and promote active play

    • Establish regular family activities such as walking, playing and other outdoor activities

    • Encourage self- monitor by keeping log on food and activities so child become more aware of their eating and exercise pattern

(Moran, 1999)

EXERCISE MODEL RECOMMENDATIONS

Physcical activities basis (n.a) by Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC)

Aerobic Exercise

  • Increase heart rate and respiratory strength

  • At least 60 minutes every day

  • Moderate intensity: brisk walking, bicycle riding, hiking, swimming, yarkwork

  • Vigorous intensity: running, jumping rope, martial arts, dancing, tag game

Bone Strengthening

  • Promote growth and strength

  • At least 3 days/ week

  • Ex: hoping, skipping, jumping, running -> Sport involve jumping or rapid changes in direction

Muscle Strengthening

  • Increase muscle strength, size, power and endurance

  • At least 3 days/ week

  • Ex: games like tug of war, resistance exercise, some form of yoga, climbing

Image by Jazmin Quaynor

Clinical Practice Guideline

By American Psychological Association

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