Childhood Obesity Treatment

If your child is overweight or obese, there are plenty of steps you and your WellStar doctor can take to get him/her back to a healthy weight. From changing eating habits to increasing exercise, parents, children and their WellStar pediatricians can work together to succeed. With children under age seven, treatment most likely will be weight maintenance instead of weight loss. This allows the child to grow out of being overweight or obese, causing the BMI for the age drop over time to a healthy range. When children are older than seven, weight loss should be slow – no more than a pound a week to a pound a month, depending on your child's starting health condition.

Diet and Exercise

Parents can make a remarkable difference in their child’s health through small changes, including:

• Sit down at a table for family meals. This makes everyone eat more slowly and stops mindless eating in front of a screen.
• Never use food as a reward or a punishment.
• Limit the fast food. The portions are often too large, and the food is often too loaded with fat and salt.
• Get active with your child. Frame it as “activity,” not “exercise.”
• Vary activities. Don’t just walk. Walk, bowl, or swim. Let your child pick.

Medication and Surgery

Any such decision should be discussed with a WellStar pediatrician.

Which Approach Is Right For You?

Your WellStar pediatrician will help you weigh the benefits of each treatment approach and make an experienced recommendation for the best outcome. You can feel confident your decision will be based on both your input and the expertise and recommendations of your experienced physician.