Seven steps to fight childhood obesity
A panel of experts which included doctors and psychologists came up with a new model to fight childhood and adolescent obesity. The model consists of 7 steps, each step with increasing intensity.
The so-called Seven Steps to Success are
- Medical Management. This step should be a joint effort between parents and pediatricians. The parents should have their child checked regularly for potential health problems caused by excess weight.
- Education. This refers to educating parents and children alike on proper nutrition and physical exercise.
- Environmental Changes. This entails making changes in the family environment, such as getting rid of all junk food, altering eating habits and schedules, limiting TV and computer time, and engagement in more outdoor, physical activities.
- Support Groups. Support groups can great help kids, especially teens in coping with weight problems.
- Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT) I: Clinics or Short-Term Immersion. CBT is a scientifically based approach that helps people in motivation, goal-setting, and focusing skills. CBT can also be applied to weight problems and short-term immersion may be available in local hospitals, and clinics.
- CBT II: Long-term Immersion. More intensive immersion programs are available in specially set up therapeutic boarding schools and clinics.
- Bariatric Surgery +. This rather drastic measure is recommended to those who are seriously overweight and for whom the first six steps didn’t work.
One has to be aware that the model is based on one important assumption – that obesity among children is mainly linked to the family environment. The participation and commitment of the family members are therefore necessary for the model to work.
You can download the full article entitled for free
Seven Steps to Success: A Handout for Parents of Overweight Children and Adolescents
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Dawn says...
I think #3 is the key–turn off the dang XBox/Computer/TV and go outside and play! What happened to the days of moms calling kids “in” for dinner? The problem started with television, but for most people reading this blog, TV has always been part of our lives, and the childhood obesity epidemic is more recent…since the advent of video games and the Internet. It used to be, we’d watch TV, but then LEAVE the television to actually play games requiring physical exertion. Now everything–TV, study, AND play–is a sedentary activity!
Also, McDonalds used to be a special treat–not a lifestyle!
Ugh, I could go on and on about this topic, because it’s really sad.
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