I think my child’s weight is affecting their health. How can I best support them?

Weight fluctuations and changes in body composition as we grow are a normal part of development. Apart from the first year of life, the teenage years are when the most rapid growth and development occurs.

Your doctor will consider your child’s weight as part of a comprehensive assessment, taking into account age, gender, and stage of development. growth.

Not all children who are overweight will have Health consequences.

But as we age, excess body fat can cause health complications, including sleep apnea (stopping and restarting breathing during sleep), bone or joint problems, liver disease, high blood pressure or cholesterol, or insulin resistance (pre-diabetes).

If you notice any changes in your child’s or teen’s health – such as shadowy spots around the neck or armpits (which indicate insulin resistance), headaches, sleeping problems or joint pain – talk to your GP.

What will your family doctor do?

Your GP can investigate whether there are any health implications associated with being overweight. They may check your blood pressure and do a blood test to check your liver health, cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels.

Being overweight is often associated with mental health problems such as depression, anxiety or eating disorders. Your GP can support assess and treat these conditions.

AND Family doctor with experience in weight management can provide appropriate support and referrals to local support depending on your area. Accredited Practicing Dietitian For example, someone with experience in pediatric care can support develop well eating habits for the family.

Changes that affect the whole family

Initial treatment for weight-related health problems will depend on the age of the child. It usually involves a whole-family approach to improving health behaviors, such as:

• well dietary changes, such as offering a variety of fruits and vegetables of different colors and types, restrictive sweetened beverages and foods high in salt, fat and sugar

• limiting screen time (the goal is no more than two hours a day (screen time outside of education for children aged 5 to 17)

• improving sleep habits (the goal 9-11 hours a day for children aged 6 to 12 and 8-10 hours a day for teenagers)

• increasing physical activity (the goal is one hour (approximately 1,000 hours of vigorous play or vigorous activity per day).

Most children and adolescents will improve physical and mental health and well-being following behaviour change interventions. This may include improving eating behaviorless symptoms depressionand better self-esteem and body image.

Teen Options

Sometimes, teenagers who are significantly overweight and have complications related to their weight are advised to lose weight.

As children grow older, they will be involved in decision-making about their treatment.

Scope of regulations diets Tests were conducted on adolescents, including those on very low energy diets.

Our latest research shows that specific diets can stabilize weight and improve it. physical AND mental adolescent health. Our study included 141 adolescents with obesity-related complications and compared intermittent and continuous energy restriction.

After 1 year, we observed improvements in body weight, insulin resistance, and liver function in both groups. Symptoms of depression, eating disorders, and binge eating decreased after four weeks of very low-energy diets, followed by a transition to intermittent or continuous energy restriction, which was maintained for 1 year.

However, any prescribed diet should only be followed under the supervision of a physician and dietitian.

Next-generation medications (such as Wegovy) are now available for severely obese teens to exploit along with behavioral therapy. They can support with weight loss and reduce the risk of future health complications.

Bariatric surgery may be an option for older teens with significant health complications.

If you are considering taking medications or undergoing surgery, discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.

Look out for signs of an eating disorder

Children and adolescents with higher body weight he can try lose weight yourself. Unfortunately, most publicly available information is not tailored to the needs of adolescents, may be unsustainable, and may lead to eating disorders.

Social media is full of useless content weight loss, diet and exercise messages, and often promotes unattainable body image ideals. Talk to your children about what they see on social media to support them recognize which social media content is beneficial.

If you notice your child you lose weight quickly, you hide food or eat in secret, you binge (eat a lot of food and feel like you can’t stop), you throw up after eating, you exercise to burn calories, or you skip regular meals to try to lose weight, talk to your doctor about it. These could be signs of an eating disorder.

How you can support your child

Parents are significant role models for children and play a key role in ensuring a well lifestyle for the whole family.

Start healthy habits. Make well eating and enjoyable exercise part of your daily life.

Avoid doing negative comments about your body or your child’s body – and ask others to do the same. If you hear a negative comment about your child’s weight, try to reframe it as a positive message. For example, “growing bodies are mighty bodies.”

Beware of bullying. Some children with higher weight experience teasing or body size related bullying. This can come from peers at school, teachers, parents, and even healthcare providers. Ask your child if they are being bullied or harassed because of their body and take action.

Finally, remember that different treatments may work differently for different people. If you find that a treatment approach is not working for your child or family, return to your doctor to discuss other options.

Children and families who have weight problems should treated with respect and dignity at all times. If you feel your healthcare provider is not doing this, consider money exchange.