Child weight control programs

Find information for girls to learn about overweight and obesity, calories, and a healthy weight. An official website of the United States government. Here's how you know. Dining Decisions App. Read about how parents or guardians can help prevent childhood overweight and obesity.

The program includes individual visits with access to a team of specialists. This surgical technique changes the digestive tract, including the size of the stomach, so patients feel full sooner and eat less. When combined with lifestyle changes, bariatric surgery can help adolescents reach a healthier weight, improve self-esteem and reduce the likelihood of other chronic diseases.

Pediatric Healthy Weight and Weight Management. Our commitment to keeping you safe We have never taken for granted the sacred trust you place in us to care for your child, and today we are more grateful than ever for that privilege.

Learn More about our commitment to keeping you safe. Our Nutrition Clinic offers an introduction to family-centered healthy eating Children with a variety of conditions and disorders can benefit from a nutritional assessment and counseling at our Pediatric Nutrition Clinic.

The program is for children up to age 18 whose weight is too high or has obesity. The program is for children ages 6 whose weight is too high or has obesity with a BMI over the 85th percentile for their age, height and gender. One way to tell if your child is overweight is to calculate his or her body mass index BMI.

BMI is a measure of body weight relative to height. The BMI calculator uses a formula that produces a score often used to tell whether a person is underweight, a normal weight, overweight, or obese.

BMI-for-age uses growth charts created by the U. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The main BMI categories for children and teens are. You should be concerned if your child has extra weight because weighing too much may increase the chances that your child will develop health problems now or later in life.

In the short run, for example, he or she may have breathing problems or joint pain, making it hard to keep up with friends. Some children may develop health problems, such as type 2 diabetes , high blood pressure , and high cholesterol. Some children also may experience teasing, bullying, depression , or low self-esteem.

Children who are overweight are at higher risk of entering adulthood with too much weight. The chances of developing health problems such as heart disease and certain types of cancer are higher among adults with too much weight. He or she can check your child's overall health and growth over time and tell you if weight management may be helpful. You can play an important role in helping your child build healthy eating, drinking, physical activity, and sleep habits.

For instance, teach your child about balancing the amount of food and beverages he or she eats and drinks with his or her amount of daily physical activity. Take your child grocery shopping and let him or her choose healthy foods and drinks, and help plan and prepare healthy meals and snacks.

The U. Dietary Guidelines explain the types of foods and beverages to include in a healthy eating plan. Besides consuming fewer foods, drinks, and snacks that are high in calories, fat, sugar, and salt, you may get your child to eat healthier by offering these options more often:. To help your child eat less candy, cookies, and other unhealthy snacks, try these healthier snack options instead:. Try to make physical activity fun for your child. Children need about 60 minutes of physical activity a day, although the activity doesn't have to be all at once.

Several short or even 5-minute spurts of activity throughout the day are just as good. If your child is not used to being active, encourage him or her to start out slowly and build up to 60 minutes a day. He or she may be able to recommend a plan for healthy eating and physical activity, or refer you to a weight-management specialist, registered dietitian , or program.

Your local hospital, a community health clinic, or health department also may offer weight-management programs for children and teens or information about where you can enroll in one. You can help your child by being positive and supportive throughout any process or program you choose to help him or her achieve a healthy weight.