National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. At Kids First, we believe in support, not stigma. From the American Academy of Pediatrics: “It is important to acknowledge the harmful effects of weight bias and stigma. There is no place for blame or guilt about body shape or size. What is important is that our bodies function in a healthy way.”

The following is from AAP, "Childhood Obesity: A Complex Disease"

The causes of obesity are not limited to just individual or family factors, such as genetics, nutrition, and physical activity. They also involve multiple, complex situations in the wider environment that can lead to obesity. Examples include:

• Unjust food systems and economic factors, which can make it hard for some families to access or afford healthy food choices.

• Unsafe physical environments, which can limit opportunities for physical activity, exercise, and active play.

• Sources of toxic stress such as exposure to racism. Toxic stress can affect the hormones that regulate weight, among other health effects.

Why healthy living and weight is about more than nutrition and exercise

Our report provides tools and resources to help optimize health regardless of a child's weight. That said, the guidance is based on the best science on strategies that can help prevent obesity at every stage, from infancy through adolescence.

It turns out, this is about much more than nutrition and physical activity. While these are key factors that govern a child's health and weight, they are among a variety of influences.

Key factors that affect a child's health and weight

• Nutrition. Setting regular meal and snack times can support healthy weight. Another key: having healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains on hand while minimizing sugary drinks and highly processed foods that are full of additives. We also know it helps when children learn to use cues of hunger and fullness to guide what they eat and drink, rather than other triggers, such as the amount of food on their plate.

• Physical activity. Kids need physical activity built into every day—whether that's playing sports, playing outdoors, helping with family chores, walking or biking to school, engaging in physical education, taking a family walk, or any other physical activity they enjoy.

• Sleep. When kids (and adults) don't get enough sleep, their bodies release stress hormones to help them get through the day. These biological patterns affect appetite and the way our bodies burn (or store) excess calories. Studies link insufficient sleep with weight gain, and sleep loss can aggravate health issues such as diabetes. Plus, poor sleep is associated with decreased focus and attention, and behavioral concerns.

• Healthy tech use. This issue is closely related to sleep, since screen time before bed disrupts sleep cycles. But it's also a factor in making time for healthy activities that get us moving. Gaming, TV, smartphones, and other media devices can consume the hours our kids need for free play, sports, and socializing. Children who eat while using screens also risk mindless and excess food intake. Too much media use can also negatively impact mental health and well-being.

• Emotional & social issues. Feeling loved, seen, and appreciated are just as central to your child's health as nutrition and exercise. The brain and the body are one system; so, when kids feel safe and secure, their bodies function well. When they are threatened by hurtful issues such as racism, abuse, bullying, or pressure to look or act a certain way (often fueled by social media), their health can suffer.

How your child's doctor can support you

Partnering with your child's doctor can help you create healthy sleep routines, set reasonable limits on screen time, and navigate the sources of stress your child will encounter in the larger world.

For example, pediatricians and health care teams can:

• Learn about a family's culture, habits, and routines as well as any challenges they face in adopting healthy eating, physical activity, and stress management routines.

• Offer practical ways for parents to tackle specific issues—for example, the challenge of setting regular family mealtimes, which have been shown to support healthy weight in kids.

• Understand the impact that social factors—also called social determinants of health—might have on a family's well-being.

• Show compassion and concern for individual and family needs, exploring ways that parents can care for children who face discrimination, bullying, abuse, or extreme social pressures that can harm their health.

• Support children and families affected by eating disorders, starting with regular screening that helps identify eating struggles early.

• When kids need help reaching a healthier weight, explore possible solutions with families in an open, non-judgmental way.

• Work with parents and kids to create a treatment plan that emphasizes good health today while shaping skills that will benefit them long into the future.

This month and every month, the team at Kids First is working hard to support you and your children in health. Contact us today for more information or to schedule an appointment.

This article is informational and is not a substitute for medical attention or information from your provider.