Obesity in Children

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Summary

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's considered healthy for his or her height. Children grow at different rates, so it isn't always easy to know when a child has obesity or is overweight. Ask your health care provider to check whether your child's weight and height are 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. Encourage healthy eating by

Serving more fruits and vegetables
Buying fewer soft drinks and high-fat, high-calorie snack foods
Making sure your child eats breakfast every day
Eating fast food less often
Not using food as a reward

Physical activity is also very important. Kids need about 60 minutes each day. It does not have to happen all at once. Several short periods of activity during the day are just as good.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

Childhood Overweight and Obesity (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish
Helping Your Child Who is Overweight (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish
Overweight and Obesity (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

About BMI for Children and Teens (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
How Are Obesity and Overweight Diagnosed? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish
Stature-for-Age and Weight-for-Age Percentiles: Boys, 2 to 20 Years (National Center for Health Statistics) - PDF Also in Spanish
Stature-for-Age and Weight-for-Age Percentiles: Girls 2 to 20 Years (National Center for Health Statistics) - PDF Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

Balance Food and Activity (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
Families Finding the Balance: A Parent Handbook (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - PDF Also in Spanish
Help Your Child Stay at a Healthy Weight (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion)
Preventing Childhood Obesity: Tips for Parents and Caregivers (American Heart Association)

Treatments and Therapies

Addressing Your Child's Weight at the Doctor (American Heart Association)
Common Weight Loss Challenges (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
Is Childhood Obesity an Issue in Your Home? (American Heart Association)
Weight Control: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
Weight Loss Surgery: An Option for Teens? (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Living With

Dietary Recommendations for Healthy Children (American Heart Association)
Emotional Toll of Obesity (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
Weight-based Teasing and Bullying in Children: How Parents Can Help (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

Childhood Obesity: Common Misconceptions (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
Pediatric Obesity and Ear, Nose, and Throat Disorders (American Academy of Otolaryngology--Head and Neck Surgery)

Specifics

Childhood Obesity Causes & Consequences (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Obesity in Infants to Preschoolers (American Heart Association)
Organic Causes of Weight Gain and Obesity (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
Weighty Issues for Kids: Taking Aim at Childhood Obesity (National Institutes of Health)

Genetics

Genetics Home Reference: proopiomelanocortin deficiency (National Library of Medicine)

Health Check Tools

Body Mass Index (BMI) Charts (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)
Body Mass Index: Calculator for Child and Teen (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Statistics and Research

CDC Vital Signs: Progress on Childhood Obesity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
Childhood Obesity Facts (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
FastStats: Obesity and Overweight (National Center for Health Statistics)
Perception of Weight Status in U.S. Children and Adolescents Aged 8-15 Years, 2005-2012 (National Center for Health Statistics)

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Obesity in Children

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Reference Desk

Glossary of Terms Related to Healthy Eating, Obesity, Physical Activity, and Weight Control (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Find an Expert

Find a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)
KidsHealth (Nemours Foundation)
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Weight-Control Information Network (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)

Children

What "Being Overweight" Means (For Kids) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

Dealing With Feelings When You're Overweight (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
Emotional Eating (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
When Being Overweight Is a Health Problem (For Teens) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

Growth chart (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
Obesity in children (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

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MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Obesity in Children is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Disclaimers

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