The Everything Parent's Guide To The Overweight Child

by Ford-Martin, Paula

• ISBN13: 9781593373115
• ISBN10: 1593373112
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-05-01
• Publisher: Adams Media Corp

Summary

If your child is overweight, he's not alone. According to the American Obesity Association, more than 30 percent of children ages 6 to 19 are now overweight. And half of those children are obese. You're worried about your child's health-and don't know what to do. Is your child's weight due to overeating? Lack of exercise? Genetics? The Everything Parent's Guide to the Overweight Child provides you with valuable insight on what causes children to become overweight and how to help them to change their eating habits and become more physically active. Most important, you'll learn what you can do to break the cycle of obesity that can lead to severe medical problems in the future.

Author Biography

Paula Ford-Martin has a master's degree in writing from DePaul University, and is a member of the American Medical Writers Association. She has published extensively in both traditional and alternative medicine for patient, practitioner, and corporate audiences. She lives in Warwick, RI. Vincent Iannelli, M.D., is a board-certified pediatrician, fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. His parenting articles have appeared in Early Childhood News, Childhood Diseases Sourcebook, and in the American Scouting Digest. He lives in Dallas, TX.

Table of Contents

Introduction	xiii
CHAPTER 1 Generation O: The Obesity Epidemic	1	(14)
Overweight in America	1	(1)
Weighing In	2	(2)
A Heavy Toll	4	(2)
Why Our Kids Are Getting Fat	6	(4)
Food in America	10	(2)
Overweight Kids Become Overweight Adults	12	(3)
CHAPTER 2 Feeding Frenzy: Why Kids Eat Inappropriately	15	(12)
Learned Behaviors	15	(2)
Food As Love	17	(2)
Eating Away from Home	19	(3)
Ignoring Hunger and Satiety Cues	22	(2)
Emotional Eating	24	(1)
Eating Disorders	25	(2)
CHAPTER 3 Acceptance and Action: Identifying the Problem	27	(16)
Your Child's Healthy Weight	27	(1)
Charting Your Child's Growth	28	(5)
Coming to Terms with the Problem	33	(2)
Talking to Your Child's Doctor	35	(2)
Talking to Your Child	37	(3)
Diet Versus Lifestyle Change	40	(1)
Creating a Supportive Environment	40	(3)
CHAPTER 4 Redefining Family Life for Healthier, Happier Kids	43	(14)
A Family Affair	43	(3)
Lifestyle Makeover	46	(3)
One Size Does Not Fit All	49	(2)
When One Child Is Heavy	51	(2)
Avoiding the Food Police Role	53	(1)
Educating the Extended Family	54	(3)
CHAPTER 5 Weight Loss 101	57	(18)
The Biology of Weight Loss	57	(6)
Diet and Exercise: The Dynamic Duo	63	(1)
Getting Your Doctor's Help	64	(1)
Charting a Course	65	(1)
Tracking Your Progress	66	(3)
Gold Stars: Kids and Motivation	69	(4)
Pushing Past Plateaus	73	(2)
CHAPTER 6 Eating Right: Food Facts	75	(18)
Who Makes the Rules, and What Are They?	75	(2)
Carbohydrates and Fiber	77	(2)
Fats and Cholesterol	79	(2)
Protein	81	(1)
The Food Pyramid	82	(2)
Fluid Foundations	84	(1)
Vitamins and Supplements	85	(3)
Dishing It Out: Portion Control	88	(3)
Menu Planning	91	(2)
CHAPTER 7 Popular Diets: Separating Fact, Fad, and Fiction	93	(14)
The "D" Word	93	(2)
The Skinny on Low-Carb Diets	95	(4)
Low-Fat Diets: The Facts	99	(1)
Food Franchises	100	(2)
Nutritional Counseling	102	(3)
No Quick-Fix Solutions	105	(2)
CHAPTER 8 Food for Thought: Helping Kids Eat Intelligently	107	(12)
The Benefits of Breastfeeding	107	(1)
Building an Informed Consumer	108	(1)
Teaching Your Child About Food Labels	109	(2)
Nights at the Round Table	111	(2)
Kitchen Tools	113	(1)
The Hit List	114	(2)
Sensible Snacks	116	(1)
Satiety Strategies	117	(2)
CHAPTER 9 Meals on Wheels: Eating Out Sensibly	119	(12)
Driving Past the Drive-Through	119	(4)
The Best-and Worst-Restaurant Choices	123	(4)
Picking Family-Friendly Restaurants	127	(1)
When to Pass on the Kids' Menu	128	(1)
Just Desserts	129	(1)
Banish the Buffet	130	(1)
CHAPTER 10 Learning to Get Physical	131	(14)
Fit for Life: Why Kids Need Exercise	131	(2)
Finding a Program That Works	133	(2)
Staying Safe	135	(4)
Small Steps	139	(2)
Be Realistic	141	(1)
Exercise and Activity Journals	142	(3)
CHAPTER 11 Integrating Exercise	145	(16)
Physical Education at School	145	(4)
Team Sports	149	(2)
Aerobic Training	151	(1)
Strength and Flexibility	152	(2)
Solitary Sports	154	(1)
Family Fitness	154	(1)
Gear Up	155	(3)
Fitness for the Physically or Mentally Challenged Child	158	(3)
CHAPTER 12 Emotional Eating	161	(18)
Realistic Body Image	161	(1)
Fitness As a State of Mind	162	(1)
Mindful Eating	163	(1)
Eating Disorders and the Overweight	164	(2)
Sticks and Stones	166	(5)
Stress Management	171	(3)
Beating the Blues: Weight and Depression	174	(5)
CHAPTER 13 Through Thick and Thin: Building Healthy Relationships	179	(16)
Friendship in Childhood	179	(3)
When Your Child Is Picked On	182	(2)
Fitness Camps and Programs	184	(5)
Self-Esteem and Positive Self-Image	189	(3)
Someone to Look Up To	192	(3)
CHAPTER 14 Food and Fun	195	(14)
Making Fun the Focus	195	(1)
Handling Holidays	196	(3)
Halloween: In a Class by Itself	199	(2)
Movie Madness	201	(2)
Fun Food Ideas	203	(2)
Food and Social Substitutions	205	(2)
Fostering Self-Control	207	(2)
CHAPTER 15 Sleep Essentials: Your Child's Body at Rest	209	(12)
Sleep Hygiene	209	(2)
Children, Weight, and Sleep Problems	211	(2)
Sleep Apnea and Childhood Obesity	213	(2)
Stress, Anxiety, and Sleep Disorders	215	(1)
The Toll of Sleep Deprivation	215	(2)
Eat Right, Sleep Tight	217	(2)
Improving the Sleep Environment	219	(2)
CHAPTER 16 When Your Child Stumbles	221	(10)
Binges and Triggers	221	(3)
After the Fall	224	(2)
When Setbacks Become Roadblocks	226	(1)
Learning from the Fall	227	(1)
Jamming the Triggers	228	(2)
Back on Track	230	(1)
CHAPTER 17 Overweight by Age: Infants Through Preteens	231	(10)
When It Isn't Just Baby Fat	231	(1)
What You Can and Can't Change	232	(2)
Infancy to Preschool	234	(3)
School-Aged to Preteens	237	(1)
Peer Power	238	(1)
Building the Skills for Self-Improvement	239	(2)
CHAPTER 18 Overweight by Age: Adolescence Through Young Adult	241	(14)
Puberty and Weight	241	(2)
Social Issues	243	(1)
Dating	243	(1)
Self-Image	244	(3)
Advertising and Media Messages	247	(2)
Pills and Procedures	249	(2)
Transition to Adult Weight Issues	251	(4)
CHAPTER 19 Educating the Schools: Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds	255	(12)
Phys Ed: A Lost Opportunity?	255	(3)
Slimming Down the Lunch Line	258	(3)
Vending Machines	261	(3)
Avoiding Mixed Messages	264	(1)
Health and Nutrition Education	265	(1)
Peer Sensitivity Training	265	(2)
CHAPTER 20 Weight Loss and Special Dietary Needs	267	(12)
Vegetarianism and Weight Control	267	(2)
Living with Food Allergies	269	(2)
Picky Eaters	271	(4)
Healthy Weight Loss on a Shoestring Budget	275	(1)
Cultural Considerations	276	(1)
Chronic Diseases/Disorders and Weight Loss	277	(2)
APPENDIX A Food and Exercise Journal Worksheets	279	(8)
APPENDIX B Online Resources	287	(6)
APPENDIX C BMI Charts	293	(6)
INDEX	299