Top Childhood Obesity Related Articles & Blog Posts

A May 2011 study has already changed what I tell parents about nonfat milk. Commonly, parents are counseled to switch their children from whole milk to low fat or nonfat milk by age 2 or 3, in an effort to reduce calories, reduce fat, and reduce the risk of obesity. For years my take has [...]

The diagnosis of ADHD increased 100 percent in just a decade. The percentage of kids who are overweight increased 100 percent between 1980 and 2002 (and increased 200 percent in teens). Is there a link between the two? Are kids diagnosed with ADHD more likely to be overweight? Or more likely to be underweight. It [...]

When my wife and I were born, American teenage girls, aged 12 to 17, weighed an average of 118 pounds. Some weighed more and some weighed less. Today, the average has swollen to 130 pounds. And teenage boys have packed on even more weight, going from a healthy 125 pound average up to 141 in [...]

My 3-year-old says she’s hungry all the time. She wants to eat every five minutes–even after a meal. Should I just let her munch on healthful snacks at will, or refuse her food outside of snacks and meals? Her…

Related concepts: Over-nutrition Introduction to obesity: You’ve probably already heard that we are raising the most overweight, out-of-shape generation of children in history. On January 21, 2011, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released another round of figures. What is amazing is that the problem isn’t staying the same, but keeps increasing, year [...]

Related concepts: Precocious puberty Introduction to early puberty: When childhood is ending, it often feels like it has all gone by too fast. It’s bittersweet watching our children’s bodies change into those of young men and women. How much more poignant when puberty arrives earlier than expected!

Related concepts: Major Depression, Mood Disorders, Dysthymic Disorder, Childhood Depression, Infant Depression. Introduction to depression: United States Surgeon General David Satcher released a report in January 2001 describing a mental health crisis in children. Mental illness severe enough to hinder kids from learning or developing appropriately is quite common — but fewer than one in [...]

Related concepts: Diabetes mellitus – type I Introduction to diabetes: When a child starts drinking more or urinating more frequently, the thought of diabetes often springs into the parents’ minds. When should parents be concerned? What is diabetes? In healthy children a hormone called insulin pushes sugar from the blood into the body’s cells where [...]

How important is fiber in a child’s diet? How can I make sure my kids are getting enough?

Can you give me some information on sugar and diet? Does sugar really affect a child’s energy level and mood?