Pre-school Parenting and Those Adorable Chubby Cheeks

In the second of five posts on this subject, we look at those chubby-cheeked children, who, may or may not be overweight – which as many of you already know, is the last step before obesity.

Over the three years that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracked, children ages 2-5 showed an increase in obesity, rising on average about 12%. Compared to 1980, those numbers are alarming.

Parents are increasingly dismissive when their pediatrician mentions the possibility that their child might be in the last several percentiles. (The medical profession use a body mass index to measure your child’s overall ranking as compared to other children of similar height and age, suggesting that those who are listed as above the 95th percentile are overweight.)

According to the CDC BMI or body mass index is defined as “a number calculated from a child’s weight and height. BMI is a reliable indicator of body fatness for most children and teens. BMI does not measure body fat directly, but research has shown that BMI correlates to direct measures of body fat, such as underwater weighing and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). BMI can be considered an alternative for direct measures of body fat. Additionally, BMI is an inexpensive and easy-to-perform method of screening for weight categories that may lead to health problems.”

The site clarifies the measurement “For children and teens, BMI is age- and sex-specific and is often referred to as BMI-for-age.”
Here are some simple tips to guide you and your daycare provider in helping a child overcome this potential problem.

Stop! Offering your child alternative foods when they refuse to eat what you have given them sends the wrong signals.

Go! Let them eat or not.

Stop! Don’t give up. Eating shouldn’t be a battle.

Go!Many experts believe it takes as many as seven times for a child to accept a new kind of food.

Stop! This is as much your problem as the child’s.

Go! Chances are, you received comfort foods as child and withdrawing them “because the child is overweight – and making the reason known, also signals the wrong thing to the toddler.

Stop! Limit the screen time.

Go! Kids, by nature are conformists. Take them for a walk around the block after dinner or go out a play with them. It will do you some good as well.

Stop! Make it permanent and make it a family effort.

Go! Everyone at the table will benefit form a better diet. Let them listen to their tummies and have fruits and vegetables available for them when they are hungry.

Even children who appear healthy and active can be developing problems with a diet too high in fat. Although children need more fat than their adult counterparts, it should be gained form healthy foods, not from the drive-up window at McDonalds.

Weight Status Category	Percentile Range
Underweight	Less than the 5th percentile
Healthy weight	5th percentile to less than the 85th percentile
At risk of overweight	85th to less than the 95th percentile
Overweight	Equal to or greater than the 95th percentile