Category: Children

The number of fat children who take meds for chronic diseases has jumped dramatically. There are greater increases in prescriptions for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and hypertension, and children and teens with fatty liver disease are on the rise. And remember when Type 2 diabetes was known as “adult-onset?” Well, no longer. Kids  [Read more...]

Think about this: According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, obesity most often develops from ages 5 to 6 or during the teen years, and a child who is obese between the ages of 10 and 13 has an 80% chance of becoming an obese adult.*    A study of parents of over 2,000  [Read more...]

Childhood obesity is a result of adult behavior.  And the adults most responsible? Parents. And the adults who come into contact with parents on a regular basis who are in the best position to advocate on behalf of their children? Pediatricians.   Based on my experiences over 25 years working in  [Read more...]

When I meet a very overweight or obese client for the first time, aside from discussing the obvious — such as medical issues they may have, what medications they may be on, how many times they’ve tried to lose weight before, whether their spouse is also overweight, etc. — I inquire as to their  [Read more...]

The high obesity rate among very young children is worrisome for many reasons, and one is that obesity causes children to go through puberty earlier. Puberty usually occurs in girls between the ages of 10 and 14, while in boys it generally occurs later, between the ages of 12 and 16. Puberty requires the  [Read more...]

Too many parents consider food a form of love and are afraid to refuse their children unhealthy foods, even if they are already over-fat, for fear they won’t feel loved.     In fact, the opposite is true. I know . . . because daily I see what rewarding kids with food looks like  [Read more...]

It’s been only a few years since my daughter graduated high school. And if there’s one thing I remember from dropping her off at the same primary school campus for 15 years it was seeing the expansion of so, so many overweight students (first as kids in the Lower School, then as tweens  [Read more...]

As everyone knows, obesity in kids is something that I write about often because I’m so passionate about it. Like you, I see it everywhere, and it pains and angers me. A few months ago, after a visual experience at the Freehold shopping mall in NJ, I posted something on LinkedIn about childhood  [Read more...]

“The Rule of Three” principle suggests things that come in 3’s are inherently more humorous, satisfying and effective than any other number of things. The three little pigs had to deal with a big, bad wolf. Goldilocks had to put up with the three bears. The three blind mice ran up the  [Read more...]

As parents, we are responsible for the environment in which we raise our children — emotionally, physically, psychologically, socially and spiritually. That responsibility is enormous. All the years our children are home before spreading their wings and beginning the next chapters of their lives, they are listening to us, watching us, and soaking  [Read more...]

The foundations for cardiovascular disease in adults are laid in childhood and accelerated by the presence of obesity (as well as diabetes and high blood pressure). Geetha Raghuveer, MD, a pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kanas City, MO, and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Missouri Kansas City  [Read more...]

As I do every year immediately after New Year’s, I start to remind clients to get laser-focused on their weight loss goals because time passes quickly, and the difficult eating challenges (for most)—Easter and Passover holidays—will be upon us. But, something else is also drawing near: the senior prom. The senior prom  [Read more...]

When you walk past an elementary school, or day camp, or food court at the mall, the chances are that most of the kids you come across will be overweight or obese. What are parents of already obese 8–10-year-old kids thinking when their children are gorging on 1/2-pound burgers with onion rings and  [Read more...]

Did you ever consider all the lessons kids can learn in the kitchen, which can benefit them both at home and at school? Here’s why I believe ALL school-age kids should join their moms and dad in the kitchen.   1- Cooking teaches your child about eating well. Kids are receptive to conversations  [Read more...]

Most of the overweight young people I see in the office have overweight or obese parents. Often, despite a child’s size and health issues or risks, many of these parents are in denial of the consequences of a do-nothing attitude, and they are resistant to acknowledging the role they played in their child’s obesity.  [Read more...]

Are you an obese parent with overweight kids? Do YOU like living the life of an overweight person? Is that what you want for your children? Do YOU like shopping for clothes that look good on you instead of being able to buy the clothes you like and want to wear?  [Read more...]

I’m really angry today. A mom stopped in to inquire about an appointment for her 15-year old daughter. The mom was referred by her friend (a physician) whose young son was a successful client of ours.This woman’s daughter weighed 170 pounds at her last pediatric “well” visit.Can you imagine?!170 pounds?! 15 years old?!(Coincidentally,  [Read more...]

Dear Dr. ________: The season is about to change. The leaves are about to change colors of red, orange and yellow. The sunrise and sunset times are about to change. The temperatures are about to change. The lazy days of summer will change to the hustle and bustle of the holiday season.   [Read more...]

I love this time of year and the wonderful changes it brings. The season is about to change. The leaves are about to change colors of red, orange and yellow. The sunrise and sunset times are about to change. The temperatures are about to change. Summer camp changes to  [Read more...]

If your high school senior son or daughter is obese, and if you think peer pressure and teen socialization is tough as it is, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet! No, I’m not talking about the stress of waiting for acceptances to all those college applications.I’m also not referring to the pressures teens  [Read more...]

I think it’s safe to say that mostparents are dedicated to their child’s oral, visual and physical well-beingand diligently schedule annual check-ups at the dentist, eye doctor and pediatrician. Why is it, then, that so many of those same parents do NOT put the same emphasis on their kids’eating habits? After all, what  [Read more...]

Would you let your children smoke cigarettes? Then don’t do it.   Would you let your children do drugs? Then don’t do it.   Would you let your children drink alcohol and drive? Then don’t do it.   Would you let your children stop eating to lose weight? Then, don’t do it.   Would  [Read more...]

Despite widespread publicity about the obesity epidemic in children — everywhere you look you see fat kids — parents increasingly are willfully suffering from fat blindness: turning a blind eye as their children pack on the pounds. A study done a couple years ago found that more than three quarters of parents of pre-school-age  [Read more...]

An article by psychotherapist and marriage counselor, Mel Schwartz, For the Sake of the Children, really struck a nerve with me. Of course, it speaks about “working” at a marriage; that’s what we commit to on our wedding day. When all working fails, however, the whole notion of “staying together for the sake  [Read more...]

“Science Says You Should Pay Your Kids to Eat Their Veggies” is the headline of an article in the September 10, 2015, issue of the New York Post. This so-called scholarly scientific study actually recommends that if you want your kids to eat more fruits and vegetables, you gotta show them the  [Read more...]

As parents, we are responsible for the environment in which we raise our children — emotionally, physically, psychologically, socially and spiritually. That responsibility is enormous. All the years our children are home before spreading their wings and beginning the next chapters of their lives, they are listening to us, watching us, and soaking it  [Read more...]

When you walk past an elementary school, or day camp, or food court at the mall, chances are that most of the kids you see are either overweight or obese.   What are parents of obese 8–10-year-old kids thinking when their children are gorging on 1/2-pound burgers with onion rings and fries, massive amounts  [Read more...]

Of the very long list of health problems that childhood obesity can create, another health problem is the development of ear, nose and throat problems . . . including the development of sleep apnea. Does your child snore? Does your child show other signs of disturbed sleep: long pauses in breathing, a  [Read more...]