Obesity means having too much body fat. It is different from being overweight, which means weighing too much. Both terms mean that a person's weight is greater than what is considered healthy for his or her height. Children grow at different rates, so it isn't always easy to know when a child is obese or overweight. Ask your doctor to measure your child's height and weight to determine if he or she is in a healthy range.
If a weight-loss program is necessary, involve the whole family in healthy habits so your child doesn't feel singled out. You can encourage healthy eating by serving more fruits and vegetables and buying fewer sodas and high-calorie, high-fat snack foods. Physical activity can also help your child overcome obesity or being overweight. Kids need about 60 minutes each day.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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Helping Your Overweight Child
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/over_child.htm
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Overweight and Obesity(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/overweight_obesity.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/parent/en_espanol/nutricion/overweight_obesity_esp.html
- Childhood Obesity(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/childhood-obesity/DS00698/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
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Families Finding the Balance: A Parent Handbook(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - Large PDF file - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan_mats/parent_hb_en.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan_mats/parent_hb_sp.pdf
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What “Being Overweight” Means(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/fit/overweight.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/kid/en_espanol/sano/overweight_esp.html
- Bullying Top Concern of Parents with Overweight Child(09/11/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69181.html
- No Harm Seen in Telling Parent Child Is Overweight(09/04/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68893.html
- Kids of Stressed, Low-Income Moms Prone to Weight Problems(09/03/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_68822.html
- More News on Obesity in Children http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_o.html#obesityinchildren
- Childhood Obesity: Make Weight Loss a Family Affair(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/childhood-obesity/FL00058/METHOD=print
- Is Dieting OK for Kids?(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/diet.html
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What Is Energy Balance?(National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan/learn-it/balance.htm
- Dietary Recommendations for Healthy Children(American Heart Association) - http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4575
- Children, Obesity, and Sleep(National Sleep Foundation) - http://www.sleepfoundation.org/site/c.huIXKjM0IxF/b.2464479/apps/nl/content3.asp?content_id={2904EE64-4DC2-4AB6-97DB-55E852839FD7}¬oc=1
- Food Companies to Restrict Marketing Aimed at Kids(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/research/food_ads.html
- Body Mass Index: Calculator for Child and Teen(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calculator.aspx
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Obesity in Children - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/term=obesity+%5BCONDITION%5D+AND+child+%5BAGE-GROUP%5D
- Emotional Toll of Obesity(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/research/obesity_emotions.html
- Fatty Liver Disease May Raise Heart Disease Risk in Overweight, Obese Kids(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=452
- Preschoolers Benefit from Daycare Program to Prevent Obesity(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=361
- Untreated Diabetes During Pregnancy May Raise Kids' Risk for Obesity Later(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/research/pregnancy_diabetes.html
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Treatment of childhood obesity in obese families. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18655528&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Breakfast: a good habit, not a repetitive custom. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18652755&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Information from your family doctor. Helping your child reach or... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18649612&tool=MedlinePlus
- Obesity in Children -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=obesity[majr:noexp]+AND+english[la]+AND+(child[mh]+OR+adolescent[mh])+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+systematic[sb]+OR+jsubsetn)+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
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Obesity, Physical Activity, and Weight-Control Glossary(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://win.niddk.nih.gov/publications/glossary.htm
- Find a Nutrition Professional(American Dietetic Association) - http://www.eatright.org/cps/rde/xchg/ada/hs.xsl/home_4874_ENU_HTML.htm
- KidsHealth(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/index_noflash.html
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
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Weight-Control Information Network(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://win.niddk.nih.gov/
- FASTATS: Overweight(National Center for Health Statistics) - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/overwt.htm
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When Being Overweight Is a Health Problem(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/dieting/obesity.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/nutricion/obesity_esp.html
- Child Nutrition - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childnutrition.html
- Obesity - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/obesity.html
- Weight Control - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/weightcontrol.html
- Children and Teenagers - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childrenandteenagers.html
- Food and Nutrition - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/foodandnutrition.html
- Metabolic Problems - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/metabolicproblems.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Obesity in Children is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/