Childhood Obesity A Growing National Concern Marydelle Polk, Ph.D., ARNP-CS Florida Gulf Coast University

Obesity  An actual weight of 20% or more above the mean weight.  Severe obesity – greater than 40% mean weight (for height).

Infants Who May Be Predisposed to Future Obesity  Family History  Abnormal Growth Patterns  Limitations on Physical Activity  Feeding Problems  Parent Unaware or Proud of Fatness

Causes of Childhood Obesity  Lifestyle  Emotional overeating  Too-comfortable child  Too-uncomfortable child  Medical problems

Goals for Management of Childhood Obesity  View obesity as a symptom with diverse contributors rather than a narrow focus.  Teach parents to identify and correct poor eating habits, exercise, activity and behaviors.

Goals for Management of Childhood Obesity  Normalize the child’s weight within genetic potential.  Prevent the complications of severe obesity by preventing severe obesity.  Prevent lifelong obesity.  Promote a healthy body ideal.

This is unhealthy – it leads to undue stress on all body systems and opens the door to complications of lifelong long obesity.