Dealing with obesity in children

• If you feel your child is gaining too much weight, start making meaningful, lasting lifestyle changes immediately

Parental support for the overweight or obese child is paramount. “If you feel your child is gaining too much weight or doesn’t look the right size, act immediately. Start making some meaningful, lasting lifestyle changes,” he suggests.

Andersen offers a raft of guidelines to keep kids off the slippery slope to obesity. Prospective mothers should take care of their healthbecause babies born to overweight mothers are more likely to be overweight, he says.

So, “To give a child the best possible start, a mother-to-be should establish healthy eating habits and weight before conception — and continue throughout pregnancy,” says Andersen.

Two, breastfeed exclusively for four to six months at least, because studies show that breastfed babies are at less risk of obesity.

Three, give water instead of fruit juice. “Many toddlers and older children suffer obesity partly because they became ‘juice-aholics’ as infants,” says the doctor.

Four, wean the baby on strained vegetables before fruits in order to suppress the sweet tooth that predisposes to obesity.

Finally, regular exercise to burn surplus calories is paramount.

dkweyu@nation.co.ke