Self Care Management Plan

 

Obesity

Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. Childhood obesity has both immediate and long-term effects on health and well-being.

 

    Immediate health effects:

• Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. In a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, 70% of obese youth had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

• Obese adolescents are more likely to have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels indicate a high risk for development of diabetes.

• Children and adolescents who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem.

 

Long-term health effects:

• Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. One study showed that children who became obese as early as age 2 were more likely to be obese as adults.

• Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk for many types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, thyroid, ovary, cervix, and prostate, as well as multiple myeloma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

 

Managing Diet and Exercise

Education: Behavioral Changes: www.shapeup.org/resources

Follow these six behavioral changes to reduce weight and counter-act obesity.

Advice: Healthy Eating: www.shapeup.org/kitchen

Link to Shape Up America! Cyberkitchen. An interactive way to choose meals and snacks that meet calorie goals.

Self Care Plan: Interactive Activity Plan & Calendar: www.bam.gov

The CDC’s Body And Mind (BAM) site contains lots of helpful information for kids, as well as an interactive self-care plan that kids create and log information to on a daily basis.

 

We have  Medical  Nutrition  Therapy  Clinic  every Wednesday afternoon . For more information, please contact our office.