July Summary

In general, it is thought that lower socioeconomic status leads to being at risk for overweight. This is often attributed to the fact that families have less income to spend on food; therefore they purchase foods that are inexpensive, which often coincides with a higher fat and caloric content. In contrast, this month’s postings brought up some valid points for explaining this study’s findings that children of higher socioeconomic status were more at risk for being overweight. Some of the explanations included that families with higher socioeconomic status may have more income for food and sedentary activities such as computer and video games and television. I think these are both very interesting points and I’m sure it’s agreed that more research is needed in this area. As generations pass, time will continue to show the effects that daily activities can have on childrens’ long-term body weight status.

In response to question #2 regarding the differences in BMI between beverage groups for the older age group, but not the younger children, there were several different proposals for explaining these differences. Some thought that since the younger group still had more parental control over their eating habits, this helped them to regulate their intake. It was also thought that since they are younger, they are better able to regulate their own intake. Children of this age are less affected by external forces on eating such as television commercials and peer habits. The final reason presented was that weight problems generally develop over time. While it may not be affecting the 2-5 year old age group yet, they still need to be careful with caloric intake especially from beverages because problems develop quietly and weight can sneak up very quickly.

As a dietitian being presented with a pediatric patient needing weight loss counseling, it is definitely agreed that practicing caution is recommended. You don’t want to criticize the child or make him/her feel badly about their weight, and you certainly don’t want them to create a “food obsession” in response to your concern over their eating. In general, I think it is agreed that you want to begin by building rapport with the child and the parent. Don’t forget how influential the parent(s) is in the child’s daily habits; you must get them involved from the beginning to make a lasting change! Making several small changes is more effective for the child as they may be overwhelmed and unable to handle large alterations to their daily routines. I also like the idea of taking the approach to discuss “healthy” choices such as fruits and vegetable consumption and increasing activity levels, rather than discussing “unhealthy” behaviors and food items. By doing this, you are able to focus the child and parent on positive ideas, rather than making them feel badly about the negative things they may currently be doing.

In general, I think it’s important to consider the beverage consumption patterns of all children as this article shows that these dietary sources can contribute large amounts of sugar and calories to their daily nutrition. This is true for children of all ages, even if it’s not affecting their weight at the current time; as shown, weight status can change very quickly and those consumptions patterns often take long periods of time to alter.