Younger children getting fatter, too
By Joe Fahy, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Adults and school-age children are not the only Americans who are getting heavier.
So are younger children, including babies, according to a new study released yesterday.
The study, which involved more than 120,000 children younger than 6 in Massachusetts from 1980 through 2001, found an increasing prevalence of overweight children and children at risk of becoming overweight. The rising trend included children younger than 6 months old.
"The obesity epidemic has spared no age group, even our youngest children," said Dr. Matthew Gillman, the study's senior author and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School.
The study appears in the July issue of the journal Obesity.
Some local experts reacted cautiously to the findings.
More research is needed, said Dr. Tamara Hannon, a pediatric endocrinologist and an assistant professor at the weight management and wellness center at Children's Hospital. She noted that little study has been conducted on weight trends involving children 6 months old or younger.
The findings underscore the need for good nutrition and exercise, said Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom, a nutrition specialist and director of the weight management center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
But the fact that a baby may be a little heavy is no cause for alarm, she said, noting that weight trends over time give a better indication of whether more should be done to modify exercise and eating patterns.
"Babies are supposed to be a little pudgy. They're not lean, mean, toned machines," said Dr. Mary Goessler, chairwoman of pediatrics at Allegheny General Hospital.
Still, "you want height and weight to be in proportion," she noted.
The study involved children who made routine visits to a Massachusetts health maintenance organization. Researchers randomly selected information from more than 366,000 visits.
They found that over the study period, the prevalence of overweight children increased from 6.3 percent to 10 percent. The proportion of children at risk for being overweight rose from 11.1 percent to 14.4 percent.
Among children younger than 6 months, the proportion of overweight children rose from 3.4 percent to 5.9 percent, and of at-risk children, from 7 percent to 11.1 percent.
Children were considered overweight if their weight-for-height index was at least equal to the 95th percentile, meaning only 5 percent of children would weigh more for their sex and age based on national norms. They were considered at risk if their weight-for-height index was between the 85th and 95th percentiles.
Besides demonstrating that doctors are seeing more heavy infants now than they did two decades ago, the study shows the value of collecting data from doctors' offices to address a public health issue, said Dr. Juhee Kim, the study's lead author.
Dr. Gillman said the findings suggest that efforts should begin earlier to prevent childhood obesity. He said pregnant mothers should avoid smoking and excessive weight gain during pregnancy and new mothers should consider breast-feeding, all measures associated with more optimum weight in children.
The message for parents is "that it's very important to have healthy habits," Dr. Hannon said. "The earlier you start, the better."
She and other local experts suggested a number of tips to promote healthy weight among young children. Among them:
-Limit television viewing and do not use TV as a baby sitter.
-Substitute water for sugar-sweetened beverages or fruit juices.
-Don't use food as a reward.
-Encourage children to be active. Babies, for example, should be allowed to crawl, when possible, rather than be carried.
-Limit packaged or processed snacks or other high-calorie foods. Provide fruits or vegetables instead.
- Set a good example by remaining active and eating healthy foods.
(Joe Fahy can be reached at jfahy@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1722. )
posted by Lose Weight at 9:56 AM Weight Loss Program
Adults and school-age children are not the only Americans who are getting heavier.
So are younger children, including babies, according to a new study released yesterday.
The study, which involved more than 120,000 children younger than 6 in Massachusetts from 1980 through 2001, found an increasing prevalence of overweight children and children at risk of becoming overweight. The rising trend included children younger than 6 months old.
"The obesity epidemic has spared no age group, even our youngest children," said Dr. Matthew Gillman, the study's senior author and an associate professor at Harvard Medical School.
The study appears in the July issue of the journal Obesity.
Some local experts reacted cautiously to the findings.
More research is needed, said Dr. Tamara Hannon, a pediatric endocrinologist and an assistant professor at the weight management and wellness center at Children's Hospital. She noted that little study has been conducted on weight trends involving children 6 months old or younger.
The findings underscore the need for good nutrition and exercise, said Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom, a nutrition specialist and director of the weight management center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
But the fact that a baby may be a little heavy is no cause for alarm, she said, noting that weight trends over time give a better indication of whether more should be done to modify exercise and eating patterns.
"Babies are supposed to be a little pudgy. They're not lean, mean, toned machines," said Dr. Mary Goessler, chairwoman of pediatrics at Allegheny General Hospital.
Still, "you want height and weight to be in proportion," she noted.
The study involved children who made routine visits to a Massachusetts health maintenance organization. Researchers randomly selected information from more than 366,000 visits.
They found that over the study period, the prevalence of overweight children increased from 6.3 percent to 10 percent. The proportion of children at risk for being overweight rose from 11.1 percent to 14.4 percent.
Among children younger than 6 months, the proportion of overweight children rose from 3.4 percent to 5.9 percent, and of at-risk children, from 7 percent to 11.1 percent.
Children were considered overweight if their weight-for-height index was at least equal to the 95th percentile, meaning only 5 percent of children would weigh more for their sex and age based on national norms. They were considered at risk if their weight-for-height index was between the 85th and 95th percentiles.
Besides demonstrating that doctors are seeing more heavy infants now than they did two decades ago, the study shows the value of collecting data from doctors' offices to address a public health issue, said Dr. Juhee Kim, the study's lead author.
Dr. Gillman said the findings suggest that efforts should begin earlier to prevent childhood obesity. He said pregnant mothers should avoid smoking and excessive weight gain during pregnancy and new mothers should consider breast-feeding, all measures associated with more optimum weight in children.
The message for parents is "that it's very important to have healthy habits," Dr. Hannon said. "The earlier you start, the better."
She and other local experts suggested a number of tips to promote healthy weight among young children. Among them:
-Limit television viewing and do not use TV as a baby sitter.
-Substitute water for sugar-sweetened beverages or fruit juices.
-Don't use food as a reward.
-Encourage children to be active. Babies, for example, should be allowed to crawl, when possible, rather than be carried.
-Limit packaged or processed snacks or other high-calorie foods. Provide fruits or vegetables instead.
- Set a good example by remaining active and eating healthy foods.
(Joe Fahy can be reached at jfahy@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1722. )
posted by Lose Weight at 9:56 AM Weight Loss Program
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