My child is considered “Overweight”, what should I do?

If your child has a BMI greater than 95% he is considered overweight. If there are
secondary complications such as mild hypertension, high blood lipid levels, and insulin resistance from being overweight the first thing you do is to maintain the weight. Once some of the healthy behaviors have been adopted then the recommendation is to loose no more than one pound a month. If your child experiences acute complications from being overweight, such as, sleep apnea, obesity hypoventilation syndrome, or orthopedic problems, they should be referred to a pediatric physician that specializes in complications of children that are overweight.

Healthy Behaviors:

• Be more physically active.
• Spend less time watching TV.
• Spend less time playing computer and video games.
• Eat more family meals together.
• Eat a healthy breakfast.
• Eat more colorful vegetables and fruits.
• Drink less soda and sweetened fruit drinks.
• Eat less sweets and salty snacks.

By Candance Gabel, MS, RD, LD, Associate State Nutrition Specialist,
University of Missouri-Columbia