Feb 8, 2010 5:41 pm US/Eastern
Study: 3 Simple Steps Can Cut Child Obesity
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
In the fight against childhood obesity, we often focus our attentions on trying to improve the eating and exercise habits of school-aged children, but what about younger kids?
A new study of 4 year olds finds that nearly 1 in 5 are obese, but it identifies three routines in the home that can improve the chances that your preschooler will maintain a healthy weight.
In the new study, researchers looked at data on more than 8,000 American 4 year olds and identified three lifestyle factors that were associated with a lower risk of obesity namely, regularly eating family meals, getting adequate sleep and limited television time.
Dr. Jim Perrin, a pediatrician at MassGeneral Hospital for Children, explains how each of these routines can have a profound impact on the eating habits of a young child, "Eating with your family is way to set some rules and get some guidance about what's good for you."
Dr. Perrin says television keeps them away from much more physically active pursuits and that kids who sleep well aren't as upset and anxious as kids who don't, and that anxiety and worry are feelings that may make kids eat as a coping mechanism.
Children who were exposed to all three household routines had a 40 percent lower risk of obesity compared to children exposed to none. "It brings home to us that we should be more concerned as parents with children this young," says Dr. Perrin.
There were racial differences among the children as well. African-American children were less likely to engage in the three household routines than Hispanic or White children. Dr. Perrin says this means that outreach programs should be targeted to those communities at risk to encourage habits that promote a healthy weight.
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