Re: New Strategies to Fight Preschooler Obesity: IOM Report

[Guest guest]

those strategies aren't new. They have been talking of that for years, at

least in Europe.

I wish they told me how to educate parents that refuse to be educated and are on

pre-contemplation stage (it is a lot of them). Most of parents refuse to engage

on kids activities, they don't get involved at all with their kids school life

including any kind of food education activities. I don't if this problem is

regional (Portugal) or it is spread out. The great majority of them still thinks

the problem is with the kid and not a family problem and they refuse to change

their food habits.

Catia Borges

>

> A growing number of preschool-age children in the U.S. are overweight or

> obese and greater efforts are needed to address the problem, the health

> policy group Institute of Medicine (IOM) says.

>

> In a new report, an IOM committee outlined policies designed to reduce

> obesity by promoting healthy eating, exercise, and sleep habits among

> infants, toddlers, and preschoolers.

>

> But instead of focusing solely on what parents can do, the report

> highlighted ways federal and state regulators, doctors, and child-care

> workers can help prevent obesity in very young children.

>

> One in 10 infants and toddlers in the U.S. and one in five children between

> the ages of 2 and 5 are overweight.

>

> " Contrary to the notion that chubby babies are healthy babies and that young

> children grow out of their baby fat, it is looking like children who are

> overweight early may be more likely to be overweight and obese later on, "

> committee chair Leann L. Birch, PhD, tells WebMD.

>

> *Limit TV Time*

>

> Birch, who directs the Pennsylvania State University Center for Childhood

> Obesity Research, says addressing the problem in very young children is

> critical because obesity-related conditions such as diabetes and high blood

> pressure are occurring with greater frequency among older children, teens,

> and young adults.

>

> The IOM report included these recommendations for state and federal

> regulators:

>

> - Requiring day care centers and preschools to provide the opportunity

> for at least 15 minutes of physical activity per hour to toddlers and older

> children, while allowing infants to move freely at times with appropriate

> supervision.

> - Limit TV and other screen time to no more than 30 minutes for half-day

> day care programs and one hour for full-day programs.

> - Day care centers and other child-care providers should be required to

> promote healthy sleep times during the day.

>

> *Kids Need More Sleep, Exercise*

>

> Birch says just like their parents, very young children appear to be

> sleeping less overall these days. Studies show that insufficient sleep time

> is a risk factor for obesity.

>

> It is recommended that children age 2 and under get 12 hours or more of

> sleep each day and children between the ages of 2 and 5 get at least 11

> hours of sleep.

>

> Keeping TVs out of bedrooms, creating environments that promote naps and

> nighttime sleep, and establishing sleep routines are all important to

> promoting healthy sleep habits, IOM committee member Debra Haire-Joshu, PhD,

> MPH, of Washington University in St. Louis tells WebMD.

>

> The report stressed the importance of giving young children plenty of

> opportunity to be active during the day.

>

> " We know that children in many day care settings are not getting enough

> physical activity during the day, " Birch says.

>

> She says several states now require day care centers to provide the

> opportunity for at least two hours of physical activity during an eight-hour

> day.

>

> " Children tend to be active in short bursts, so if they have the opportunity

> for activity throughout the day they are likely to expend more energy, " she

> adds.

>

> *Educating Parents*

>

> Studies have found that many parents don't realize that overweight infants

> and toddlers are at higher risk for obesity later in childhood.

>

> For this reason, the IOM committee is calling on pediatricians to measure

> infant weight, height, and body mass at every well-child visit to identify

> those at risk and help educate parents about healthy eating and exercise

> habits.

>

> The IOM committee called on health care providers to encourage new moms to

> breastfeed exclusively for six months, and the group called on federal

> officials to establish clear dietary guidelines for children under the age

> of 2.

>

> " This is the period of life when children are establishing food preferences

> and eating patterns, " Birch says.

>

> SOURCES:

>

> Institute of Medicine: " Early Childhood Obesity Prevention Policies. "

>

> Leann L. Birch, PhD, professor; director, Center for Childhood Obesity

> Research, Pennsylvania State University.

>

> Debra Haire-Joshu, PhD, MPH, professor; associate dean for research;

> director, Obesity Prevention and Policy Research Center, Washington

> University, St. Louis.

>

> News release, Institute of Medicine.

>

> www.medscape.com

>

>

> --

> Ortiz, MS, RD

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