Every parent naturally worries about what they feed their child, and whether they’re making the right healthy choices for them.  But recent research suggests that the root of childhood obesity may lie not in the first solids you feed your child, but in the way you bottle feed them in earlier life.

The researchers suggest that while breast fed babies are good at knowing when they’ve had enough, anxious mothers may feel it is necessary for their baby to finish a full bottle of milk.  This is particularly problematic at the period of weaning, when the research suggested that mothers did not reduce the amount of milk they fed their baby while they introduced them to solids. 

The research study, published recently in the journal Pediatrics, followed 14,000 mothers from their pregnancies in 1991.  It looked in detail at how early feeding impacted on the children’s weights in later life. 

The study revealed that overfeeding a baby increased the risk that the child would be obese at three by 50%.  Dr Emmett, the senior nutritionist in the study, told journalists:  “It could be that more advice should be made available about weaning, tailored to the particular needs of formula-fed infants.”

So what can anxious bottle feeding parents do to ensure they don’t increase the risk of making their child overweight?  Ideally, breastfeeding is the way to go.  This way, baby decides how much milk it wants, and ensures that it is fed enough but not too much.  But this isn’t practical for all mums.  So be sensible when bottle feeding and weaning your baby.  Remember that your baby is the best judge of whether it has had enough, so don’t worry if it doesn’t always finish the bottle, especially when you’re feeding it solid foods as well.

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Snack time isn’t just an opportunity for your child to fill their belly until dinnertime.  Nutritious snacks give kids more energy to be active throughout the day.  Have you ever eaten a doughnut mid-afternoon and been drifting off before dinner?  There’s a reason for that: eating sugar, while it gives you a boost at the time, actually causes you to feel more tired when the sugar wears off.  The effects of a sugary snack are even more pronounced in children… hyper highs followed by grouchy, irritable lows.  Try some of these healthy snack to give your children energy, without unnecessary fat or sugar content.

Frozen Banana Pops

Bananas are an excellent source of potassium; frozen, they feel great on sore gums.  Cut the banana in half and insert a popsicle stick in each half.  Spread peanut butter on the bananas, and roll in crushed nuts.  Wrap in waxed paper and freeze. Yum!

Veggies and Dip

There are so many different ways to serve up veggies and dip that your child should never get bored with this snack.  Cutting veggies into fun shapes, tinting the dip with food coloring or picking up something new at the grocery are all good ways of keeping your child’s interest.  Try: cherry tomatoes, broccoli ‘trees’, celery logs, radish roses, fresh peas in the pod, sliced cucumbers, quartered mushrooms and more.  Serve with a low fat yogurt or sour cream dip.

Mini Sandwiches

Use Ritz, Triscuits or whole wheat crackers with ham and cheddar or swiss cheese for a yummy afternoon snack.  Cut the ham and cheese and assemble the sandwiches on a plate… remember that it’s a snack sized portion and if you fill the entire plate, they may eat it all.

Mini Bagel Pizzas

Spread tomato sauce over the cut bagel.  Top with cheese and mushrooms, green pepper, pineapple, ham and cheese.  Bake until cheese is melted.

Some great snack ideas are healthy and require little to no preparation at all!

• Fruit with yogurt dip
• Frozen yogurt with fresh berries
• Baked tortillas with salsa
• Graham crackers and a glass of milk
• Fresh fruit salad
• Pear slices with cheese
• Breakfast bars
• Sunflower or pumpkin seeds
• Trail mix
• Celery logs with cottage cheese and raisins
• Muffins with bran or wheat germ

Try to limit snacks high in sugar and sodium, and avoid sweetened beverages altogether.  The best way to be sure you have a supply of healthy snacks on hand is to plan your snacks for the week before you go grocery shopping.  Running out of healthy snacks could mean reaching for a bag of chips! 

Obese children are more at risk than their thinner counterparts for depression and depressive illnesses.  What is not known is the manner in which the two conditions are connected; does depression in children cause obesity, or does obesity cause the depression?

Although many studies have been done in this area, the findings are often controversial and vary considerably.  So while it is unknown whether one condition is the actual cause of the other, it is clear that they are linked.  Obese children are more prone to depression, low self esteem and other mental health conditions.

Considering the social stigma of childhood obesity, it’s not hard to see why obese children miss more school, participate less in activities and are often unhappier with the overall quality of their lives than non-obese children.  It is important to treat your child’s obesity as a health issue, not a physical appearance issue.  Not all obesity is caused by overeating, and treatment can be a vicious cycle of setbacks if your child continues to feel berated or picked on.  Working with your child to develop a healthier lifestyle is key, to losing weight as well as fighting depression.

The good news is that there are measures to be taken that can not only help your child lose weight, but also help ward off depression and low self esteem.  Physical activity helps to burn fat, speed up the metabolism and tone muscle.  But it also releases chemicals in the brain that make your child feel happy (much like eating chocolate, without the expanding waistline!).

Being outdoors and getting natural sunshine also plays a role in depression prevention and treatment.  A lack of sunshine is proven to contribute to depressive illnesses, as is a lack of Vitamin D.  Eating a well balanced diet and playing in the sun could greatly improve your child’s depression. 

Now, that is not to say that “Obese children just need to get out more!”  That’s not my point at all.  While some depression or obesity can be attributed to lifestyle, environment or eating habits, many people suffer from imbalances that are best treated with antidepressants.  Since placing a child on antidepressants is controversial and often completely unnecessary, it is best to explore all of the ‘natural’ avenues of treatment first. 

Talk with your child’s pediatrician if your child is obese and you feel that they may be suffering from depression.  Some signs that may indicate your child is suffering from depression include:

• change in sleeping patterns; insomnia or excessive sleepiness
• changes in behavior
• lack of interest in activities
• frequent bouts of crying
• low energy
• feelings of hopelessness
• social isolation
• extreme sensitivity
• frequent complaints of physical illness
• poor concentration in school
• thoughts about running away from home

If you’re thinking “That sounds like any and every child”, bear in mind that most people will suffer some form of a depressive illness at some point throughout their life.  If you see warning signs in your child, discuss a course of action with their pediatrician.

While losing weight may be enough to cure your obese child of their depression, weight loss is by no means a guarantee that your child will be happier.  It is important to reinforce the fact that you do love your child, no matter what size they are (I know you know that, but make sure you tell them that every single day) and that you support their new healthy lifestyle, by leading by example!

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.