Childhood Obesity

[lmam88]

Was just wondering if any other parents out there are going through this with their kids. All of our other kids where tall bean poles and so this is a new road for us! Diet drinks and most sugar subs are out due to Aspartame (which kicks up his asthma). Very picky eater as well.Was just looking for someone to share ideas and info with...
Thanks!

[Editor]

Sorry, can't help you. Sometimes I feel like my kids are the only kids who aren't obese. They look so small out there playing sports with all the other kids. Good luck!

I did get a book called Deceptively Delicious and there is another that was recommended called The Sneak Chef. Both are recipe books for sneaking veggies into regular foods for your picky eater.

[KINGCHIP]

How old is this child? Could just be a growth phase. My nephew is 12 YO now, but was really chunky for a while. So much so that I complained(my job as uncle) to his parents frequently. Sure enough, he is growing into the wide.

[lmam88]

He is 9yrs., was such a tiny lil thing as a baby we were constantly being asked if he was a preemie! I'd say within the past couple of years we have been really struggling with the weight. I am watching the carbs and calories (yep, I'm the one reading every label in the store!) closely.
I will definitely be looking for the Sneak Cookbook...thanks!

[Ann101]

I have one child out of three who also struggles. He and his brother are 14 months apart and his older brother is a good five inches taller and weighs about six pounds less. I cook a lot of fresh veggies. We eat a lot of chicken and fish. We eat pork and beef in moderation. We rarely eat out. We don't keep cokes in the house. I buy junk, snack food on occasion for special treats but not often. I don't want to hurt his self esteem but at the same time I know he sees it and I'm not sure what to do! I wish I could help but I am going through the same struggle and I'm also at a loss.

[lmam88]

Ann, it's comforting to know that we are not the only ones struggling with this issue! It's a vicious cycle, isn't it?We limit our eating out to once a month, no junk foods or sodas as well. We also use Splenda as a sugar sub. We cook our meat on the Barbecue Pit as we have been told this is healthier. My mother-in-law is always dieting and has told me about another sugar sub that she buys at the Health Food store in Marble Falls. She said she notices the difference when she buys Splenda because she does not lose the weight as fast. I am going to be stopping in there at the end of the week to buy some and see if they have any snacks or suggestions.
Our son detests veggies, could survive strictly on meat and be the happiest kid in the world!
Both of his grandpa's and two of his uncles from both sides of the family have always struggled with this as well. I guess the genes just skipped all of our other kids and went straight to him!
Maybe if we keep communicating and sharing info we can get them over this hump together!;)
Thanks again so much!

[Ann101]

To be honest I haven't substituted sugar out for anything else. My sister is diabetic, has been since she was 5 (I was three) so I grew up on diet everything and sugar is dear to my heart now! We do drink sweet tea and lemonade. I suppose that's just as bad as cokes. Thanks for bringing that to my attention! I have thought about going to a nutritionist but haven't because he is not severely over weight but he is in the 90th percentile for his age.

[mrdonkhan]

From my experiences, you should find a good nutrionalist that can find out what your child is allergic to. There is something in his current diet that his body wants to store instead of getting rid of it. He/She might also be deficient in minerals, good fats, vitimins etc.

I can recommend someone in Austin but locally, Hill Country Health is good and Wanda at Atkins is good.

DO NOT go for sugar substitutes as they are all chemically enhanced. Imperial sugar is the best.

[lmam88]

Thanks for the info! The allergist has tested him for environmental allergies and the list is very long. We have not gotten to the food part yet because they wanted to zone in on the obvious first. Allergy shots worked for a few months, then when Cedar fever season hit he started tail spinning and we ended it there. It did help somewhat with building his immunity back up though.
I will ask at Hill Country about the sugar sub my mother-in-law buys from them.
Thanks!

[Ann101]

The allergy shots only help you with the allergy it is focused on. As the body changes the allergens you react to can also change.

Mrdon, so you are saying it is best for us to use Imperial sugar and just monitor the intake of it instead of using a substitute?

I have been watching the ingredients of the food I buy. I use fresh veggies instead of frozen or canned (b/c there are no msgs, etc...) but as I stated before I use sugar in tea and lemonade and never substituted it out.

[mrdonkhan]

Yes Ann101. Just watch the sugar intake and stay away from the chemical sugar substitutes.

[docsmith]

Regular exercise is important. This can be walking (not strolling, but really walking rapidly) around the block a few times between school and homework/dinner. or ride bikes together. Just be sure your children are getting strenuous exercise every day.
Also, try to eliminate high fructose corn syrup as much as possible. It's in so many foods, but you can find things without it. Most cereals have it, so read labels. Shredded wheat (not sugar coated) is a good one. Oatmeal is very inexpensive, filling, high fiber and no fructose. (Don't use instant- read the label). Yogurt is a really bad one for high fructose, but there are a few brands that don't use it. There is something about the high fructose corn syrup that is not processed by our bodies the way sugar is, and there have been many studies that show a relationship between the hfcorn syrup and obesity/diabetes. You can google this for more information, but be sure the studies were not done by the corn industry!

[Ann101]

Thanks for the info! It's amazing what is in our foods that we aren't aware of.

[lmam88]

Thanks for the info! I have never heard of this and will keep a closer eye out now! We had to go to the doc yesterday for the second time in a week...he's lost a pound! The doc, our son and I all did the happy dance! He is becoming more conscientious about what and how much he eats and he is seeing that it does make a difference!

Have a great day!

[lmam88]

I saw this on KXAN this morning. Sounds like a really wonderful educatioal program for the entire family.
Wish we could get one going here in Burnet County!
http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/new-plan-to-fight-childhood-obesity

[Peaches]

Artificial sweetners, including Splenda, trigger migraine for me. I'm a diabetic, so my options are limited. I've seen where soft drink companies are taking sugar-sweetened soft drinks out of school vending machines voluntarily. Personally I would rather my child drink a regular cola over a diet cola. I just don't trust all those chemicals.

Something else to keep in mind is that I didn't have a weight problem until I decided to "diet". It really messed up my metabolism. These days diets don't work for me. My doctor put me on low carb diets; I gained weight and my blood sugar levels increased. I'd never considered allergies, but maybe I should.

There's a lot of good info in this thread. Thanks everybody!

[lmam88]

The diet drinks are out for us as well. Anything containing Aspertane because of it kicking our sons Asthma up.

I have found a website I wanted to share for Recipes. Alot of them sound really good! I really like the way they have each one tagged with a rating system for Carbs. They also have a Food Look Up that you can look up a specific food and it will tell you how high in carbs, saturated fat, calories and sodium it is.
How much is too much sodium? Some of them seem pretty high to me.

Check it out!
http://www.dlife.com/diabetes/diabetic-recipes.html?s_kwcid=TC%7c3015%7crecipes%2520with% 2520no%2520sugar%7c%7cS%7cb%7c2671893383&gclid=CNDRrdOa1KACFRibnAodcFRpug

[lmam88]

There is more to obesity then just diet. I was glad to finally read an article that admits that! Too bad the new Healthcare Bill does not allow for that scientific fact though.

http://www.verizon.net/newsroom/portals/newsroom.portal?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=newsroom_portal_page__article&_article=2754300

[lmam88]

Had a visit from a long time, old friend this past weekend. He and his son both have struggled with the wieght issues as well and then his son was diagnosed with high BP. He had bought his mom a book for her diabetes and skimmed through it. He has adopted a lot of the thing in there and WOW, the results are amazing. He said they gave up gluten, wheat, dairy, pork and gone to strictly fresh fruits, vegetables (frozen as well) and only eat beef and poultry, also sea salt and Stevia for the sugar. Drinks consist of water being the st of course but juices as well. All the crap they are putting in our food and then calling it healthy is amazing! He said the results have been slow which is what is always recommended anyway because the faster you lose it the more likely it is to come back. He has lost about 30lbs in 6 months...
SOOOO, we are giving it a whirl! Have the Red Food and Snack List and the Green Food and Snack List posted and so far our son is doing GREAT:bravo: with it. His dad on the other hand...well, I have caught him only once so far sneaking ice cream:nono:!

[Jonatan]

Thanks for the info. Obesity is a serious issue in USA. I think the problem will continue.

[KelliR]

I have a son who is 13 and he spends all his free time playing video games. As a result of not going out and playing and riding his bike and playing sports, he's gotten a little chunky. We've all started eating healthy and I don't buy any soft drinks for the house. We drink water or milk or lemonade which contains sugar but I don't think it's as bad as soft drinks. We've also started running and riding our bikes to get in shape as well as playing sports like basketball and tennis. His doctor has also mentioned that he is a little heavy and he needs to be more active and remember to eat healthy.

[Doublehorn]

I agree that there seems to be a larger percentage of "heavy" people these days compared to my younger days - back in the '60's & '70s.

We got too much stuff to keep us inside & on the couch.


However, what I find unbelievable is the fact that "our" govt tells us that more Americans go hungry every night....

So, Michelle Obama & the rest of "our" govt tells us we are getting fat, yet at the same time more people are hungry? :banghead: I dont believe that for a second.
It's just more lies to justify govt entitlement programs.

[springflower]

Too many little ones are being fed junk food from the minute they can consume solid foods.
Care takers use junk food to keep the kid quiet or occupied.
It's easy and very convenient.
Junk food is usually cheaper too.
It takes more time to prepare a fresh fruit salad for a child then to grab a store brand cookie.
What's the answer?
Adults need to keep in mind that children stay young for a short while.
Spending the day actually giving them attention and love is not going to break the bank.
Having a baby is an investment for at least 16 yrs.
If you're going to have one, be prepared to spend a lot of time playing,running,and enjoying life and good nutritious food for many years.
Then when you're old and grey, and they are healthy adults with healthy active lives,you can be proud.