It’s a great idea, really.  You can send your child off to camp for the summer and they will return a brand new person; physically fit, full of energy and brimming with self confidence.  But like all great ideas, this method of treatment for childhood obesity has flaws and simply won’t work for every child. 

‘Fat Camp’ could be a wonderful experience for your child.  With professional counsellors, organized sports and doctor-approved diets, your child may very well lose weight and gain confidence at camp.  Relating with other children who face the same trials and tribulations as your child can be a big self esteem booster.  But what happens when your child returns home from their summer in a temptation-free seclusion?

 Sadly, if the proper measures are not put in place at home, your child may gain back the weight they lost (maybe more!).  It is critical to reinforce your child’s new behaviors when they return.  They experienced success at ‘Fat Camp’ because the temptation of overeating was taken away.  They grew accustomed to higher fiber, lower fat meals.  They participated in organized sports and physical activities on a daily basis.  Unless the environment in which your child became obese has changed, they are being set up for failure.

Does this mean you need to stock your refrigerator full of health foods, sign your child up for every team sport in town and monitor their diet constantly?  Of course not.  But you can take small measures to protect your child from the painful consequences, both physical and mental, of yo-yo weight gain (lose a bit, gain some… lose a bit, gain a lot more).

First of all, congratulate your child and recognize that losing weight was an accomplishment that they work very hard to achieve (whether they lost 5 lbs, or 25).  Just don’t celebrate with food!

Participate in activities with your child.  Sports and activities don’t have to be expensive; go for walks, set up a basketball net, take up cycling.  By exercising with your child, you are showing them that you care about their health as well as your own.  Spending time with them shows that you appreciate their efforts.

Remove temptations: rid the cupboards of candy and junk foods.  Take the time to prepare nutritious, balanced meals for the family.  Try to avoid ‘convenience’ foods; if you prepare a meal yourself, you know exactly what has gone into it and have much more control over the nutritional value.

If your child has experienced bullying, teasing or harassment, consider placing them in counselling when they return.  One great part of ‘Fat Camp’ is the well trained, specialized counsellors.  Your child may feel lost or alone when they return home and no longer have that support person to turn to. 

 Will these measures guarantee that your child will keep the weight off or continue their new behaviors at home?  Possibly not, but you can greatly increase your child’s chance at success and reduce the risk factors that led to their childhood obesity. 

Childhood obesity puts your child at risk for disease, physical problems and emotional damage.  While it is true that it’s easier to prevent obesity than to treat it, this doesn’t mean that it’s a lost cause to try!  It is very important to help your child get to a healthy weight and body fat percentage.

 Getting your child to a healthy weight range does not mean making them lose weight.  In fact, drastic diets and/or weight loss can be very harmful to children in their developmental stages.  Instead, a child should reduce their caloric intake by eating food that is of a better nutritional quality.  Gradually, as their bodies continue to grow, the weight gain will slow, allowing the rest of the body to ‘catch up’. 

 This approach is ideal for a number of reasons: 

• Developing bodies simply cannot function properly on drastic diets
• Dieting negatively affects your child’s self esteem
• Like adults, children get discouraged if they don’t see instant results
• Over time, you can help your child develop healthier eating habits that will last them a lifetime, instead of a quick fix diet that will have the weight back on in no time

Childhood obesity is a condition that must be treated with tact and sensitivity.  Too often, children are bullied and harassed at school, only to come home in the evening and hear more criticism.  Using guilt, anger, back-handed comments and discipline as a weapon in your crusade for a thinner child will only damage their fragile self esteem even further.  Considering that low self esteem is a contributing factor in many cases of childhood obesity, this is really a step in the wrong direction.  Other contributing factors include:

• Lack of physical activity
• Poor nutritional value in diet
• Heredity
• Family environment
• Other underlying condition

When choosing a treatment plan for childhood obesity, always discuss your options with your family Doctor.  Discovering the causes of your child’s obesity (and there could be several working together to compound the problem) is the key to treating it.

Remember that the focus is to help your child learn a healthier lifestyle, NOT to lose weight!  A child with good nutritional value in their diet who is physically active is less likely to be obese, and will develop a good sense of self worth.  And of course, the best way to teach is to lead by example!

Obesity can have many harmful, and sometimes lasting, effects on your child.  Children who are obese have an increased risk of being obese into adulthood.  Many experts believe that the social and emotional problems that obese children face are the most damaging.

 Just as important though is their physical health.  Childhood obesity is associated with Type II Diabetes Mellitus and puts your child at a higher risk of developing coronary heart disease.  It also puts excess stress on your child’s joints and is the leading cause of hypertension.

 Childhood obesity is defined as an excessive amount of body fat.  In girls, this means over 32% of their total body weight is fat.  In boys, it’s 25%.  Ask your Doctor about the proper way to measure body fat as a percentage of your child’s total weight.

Why is the prevention of childhood obesity so important?  Because it is much easier to prevent than to treat.  Treatment of childhood obesity involves behavior modification, increased exercise and diet management.  

Understanding the factors that could put your child at risk for becoming obese is key in prevention.  Childhood obesity has several contributing factors, including:

• Family Influence - Children with two obese parents are at a greater risk of becoming obese themselves.  This could be due to genetics as much as lifestyle, so being healthy as a parent is important.
• Lack of exercise – While your child may love their video games, it is important that they regularly participate in physical activities.  Exercise helps to build muscle, burn fat and boost a child’s self esteem.
• Heredity – Some children eat and exercise properly and are still overweight.  Then there are children eat poor quality foods and get very little exercise, yet remain thin.  Heredity has recently been shown to be an influencing factor.

A combination of other social, emotional and psychological issues can affect your child’s weight and risk of obesity.   

As a parent, you must to recognize the signals that will tell you your child is full.  People have a tendency to overeat simply because there is more food available to them… break your children of this habit early on.  Provide them with low fat snacks and balanced meals. 

The most important point to remember is that setting a good example as a parent will make it easier for your child to eat healthy, get exercise and stay fit.  Teach your children to make nutritious food choices.  Prepare healthy meals and participate in activities as a family.

At some point or another your child is bound to succumb to the flu.

There are many types of flu your child can catch. For this article we’ll focus on the stomach flu, since that seems to be so common and so rampant among young children.

Just in case you are not familiar, the stomach flu is more commonly characterized by the following:

If your son or daugher exhibits one or more of these symptoms there is a strong chance they may have the stomach flu.

Causes of the Stomach Flu
There are many different causes of stomach flu, though more commonly stomach flu is caused by bacteria and other viruses.

At times your child may demonstrate symptoms of the stomach flu resulting from food poisoning.

Treating The Stomach Flu
If your child demonstrates symptoms of the flu you should do your best to make sure you provide your child with plenty of rehydrating fluids.

Electrolyte replacement formulas, apple juice and plain water all all good substitutes. If your child is not able to keep fluids down, he or she may lose too much fluid and you may need to take them to the hospital so they can receive IV care.

Most of the time the stomach flu resolves itself in 24 hours or less. Sometimes it may last as long as 48 hours. If your child is demonstrating symptoms longer than this you should seek the advice of your healthcare provider.

Don’t give your child any medicines for the stomach flu without first consulting your pediatrician. Some over the counter medications for stomach upset are dangerous when given to children.

You should also call your doctor if your child’s fever persists for more than 24 hours or if your child has a high temperature. Other causes for concern include blood in the stool or vomit. Lack of urination may also be a sign your child is dehydrated.

Be sure you contact your health care providers office for more information about treating the stomach flu. Fortuantely most kids recover quickly from the stomach flu and are back to their usual selves within a day or so!