Well Child Care – Overweight and Obesity
Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention revealed that 19.7% of children between 2-19 years old are obese. Parents with an overweight child should seek medical and nutritional advice from the child’s pediatrician. An unsupervised weight loss diet can deprive children and teenagers of valuable nutrition for growth and brain development. Defer to your child’s pediatrician for expert advice regarding weight loss.
Obese children suffer psychological trauma from being bullied at school and isolated from social events. To overcome the social stigma and encourage the child to lose weight without affecting self-esteem, Pediatricians and other healthcare providers can provide multidisciplinary management involving (Columbia University Department of Pediatrics, 2022):
- Individualized dietary counseling for the child and family.
- Behavioral and psychological interventions
- Nutrition education for parents
- Exercise activities for children and adolescents
- Pharmacotherapy such as:
- Orlistat to prevent the breakdown and absorption of fat.
- Phentermine for patients older than 16 years to control appetite.
- Metformin – for type 2 diabetes
With appropriate guidance, your child or teenager will develop healthy eating habits, lose weight, and gain self-confidence.
