Male: Doctor, it seems to be an epidemic of this country accused of getting very, very heavy why is that and what can we do about it?
Male: One of the most difficult issues that we as a field are struggling with are what are the causes of this sudden and rapid rise in pediatric obesity. When we try to understand it is important to realize that we are far less physically active than we used to be let’s say in the days of the cave people when we would go out, we would hunt, we would gather this bearing a lot of energy. Today, we spend most of our time behind desks. We take elevators and escalators to most places and we will spend an extra 15 to 20 minutes circling in the parking lot looking for a closer spot.
At the same time that we have reduced the amount of energy that we burn, we have increased the amount of energy. We consume that is we have had larger portions of French fries, popcorn, lots of snacks and junk food. It has become a part of our culture that seems to not stop. Those two factors the increase in the amount of calories we eat and the decrease in the amount of calories we burn have led through a slow and steady rise in the increasing weight that see in society today.
Male: What role does it play that genetics the big father, the big mother is that the nature role or a slight role in the whole issue?
Male: It is felt that genetics clear at least 50% of a role and the reason that a child becomes overweight in the past. It would be very unusual to see a child that was overweight and the absence of having at least one overweight parent. I am sorry to say today however that we are now seeing overweight children even in the absence of seeing overweight adults as parents.
This of course speaks to the fact that the newer and younger generations are being exposed to less physical activity as physical activity falls away from the school curriculum and increasing in calories partly driven by advertising the children are exposed too during children’s programming.
Male: In the first year it is cute to have a nice full figured baby but if it reach-we may be have some concern even in the first year?
Male: When parents ask me whether or not they should be concerned about their child being overweight during the first year of life, I always recommend checking with your primary care provider, your pediatrician who is best equipped to track your child’s growth weight and development on standardized growth charts. Should your pediatrician be concerned that your child is gaining weight excessively that is placed to start the evaluation and if necessary be reassured and if necessary be referred to the pediatric endocrinologist for further evaluation.
Male: If the child seems to be extremely heavy at the first year are there any tips you can give young parents with little children that could possibly do to may be decrease the accelerated growth?
Male: What is important to realize is that most children within the first six month of life are being fed almost exclusively by breast milk or by formula. It is a time when we are very reluctant to make any recommendations about changing intake to control weight. After the first six months of life I think it would be important for parents to realize that children do not need to consume junk food or lots of juices in fact and that if they follow their pediatrician’s recommendation strictly their child should be fine.
And the fact is that there are many children who seem to gain a lot of weight during the first year of life who slim down once they become capable of walking and moving around. This is a particular time when we are careful about making wide sweet in recommendations to tell parents to cut down calorie intake because of the concern that we may be depriving those children of essential nutrients to allow optimal brain growth and body development.
Male: This new phenomenon it seems that the TV with DVD’s became a new babysitter. Is that a good habit to get in the beginning or is that something may be you should live in a little bit?
Male: I think it is important to stress that the television is of course not a substitute for interpersonal interactions with children and adults. For a variety of reasons I believe that television should be limited. First, it is important that children avoid the kind of images that television often portrays in particular young children which can be frightening as well as leading to distorted body images.
Secondly, if they are sitting in front of a television they are often times not being active. I would rather find other alternative means of keeping children busy and ways of course that would involve interacting with adults to give those children the opportunity to learn and model appropriate behaviors.
Male: So any form of stationary play would be it computer games, computers itself in TV should be sort of like limited and more physical activity should be encouraged?
Male: Without question we have to get back to basics and that is children need to play and need to play actively. It is not appropriate for children to spend hours in front of the television or in front of videogames. In fact the average American child today is spending anywhere between four to six hours a day in front of the television or in front of videogames. We need to get back to basics. Get our kids active in outdoors limiting that amount of television and computer time as best as we can.
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