From Your Health Journal…..”A great article from the New Zealand Herald about children as young as 9 are joining weight-loss programs in a trend experts say will grow as children lead more sedentary lives. The article continues by stating data shows adult weight reduction strategies which involve dieting programs are basically a waste of time and money – and most likely, they are similarly unhelpful for children. In a day and age where so many children suffer from risk factors for heart disease, cancers, weak joints, and type 2 diabetes – related to weight gain, change is needed….starting in the home. Children need to eat proper food portions, healthy diets, get plenty of sleep, stay away from the liquid candy, and get at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. Please visit the New Zealand Herald to read the complete article.”
From the article…..
Young children joining weight-loss schemes but experts believe it’s no solution.
Children as young as 9 are joining weight-loss programmes in a trend industry experts say will grow as children lead more sedentary lives.
The director of SureSlim New Zealand, Phil Pullin, knew of at least one 9-year-old who had come to its Pukekohe clinic with a weight problem.
Unlike weight-loss programmes Jenny Craig and Weight Watchers, lifestyle programme SureSlim has plans for children as young as 6, but most of its youngest members were in their teens.
He said weight problems among children was an increasing trend.
“In your suburban schools today parents are too busy to make kids lunch, so they get money for a pie and chips. They don’t do any exercise for a whole raft of reasons like people are a bit scared of letting their kids walk home.
“And then they go home and play on the computer. It’s just a whole lifestyle change.”
Fight the Obesity Epidemic spokeswoman Dr Robyn Toomath said figures showed almost 30 per cent of 2- to 14-year-olds had a weight problem in 2007, with 8 per cent obese.
She said children joining weight-loss programmes was nothing to do with fashion-conscious mothers concerned with their child’s image.
“There’s masses of data to show that it’s much more the other way, that individuals don’t think they’re overweight when they are, and parents don’t think their kids are overweight when they are.
“It’s much more that we don’t appreciate the extent of obesity.”
Dr Toomath said it did not surprise her young children were being enrolled in weight-loss programmes but she was skeptical about their success.
“The data shows adult weight reduction strategies which involve dieting programmes are basically a waste of time and money and my suspicion is they are similarly unhelpful for children.”
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