It has been reported that childhood obesity is at its highest levels in Canada and the U.S. as ever before reported. Over the past 30 years, the obesity rates in children have tripled and it is causing concern for many North American parents.
Nearly one in three Ontario children are overweight or obese therefore if you are concerned that your child may be fit this criteria or if you feel that they are currently on a dangerous path towards obesity, you are definitely not alone. Dalewood Health has many locations across Canada so that you can find your local Dalewood Health Clinic and work with their certified professionals and others in your neighborhood who may be fitting the same weight battle.
A child suffering from being overweight or childhood obesity can cause several medical and health issues. Medical and Health issues aside, many overweight or obese children will also suffer a higher risk of the following:
- Depression
- Low Self-esteem
- Social Isolation
- Increased stress and anxiety
- Impaired social skills
There are also many psychological difficulties related to childhood obesity which could also cause behavior and/or learning problems. Feeling distracting in school, not paying attention or listening to their teachers or you as parents could all be caused by the suffering a child is feeling internally when struggling with being overweight or obese.
There is no weight loss secret or easy diet or miracle pill. Making a lifestyle change for the benefit of your child’s health is an easy decision however you will need to be properly supported on your family’s health journey. Dalewood Heath Clinic and their certified professionals will ensure that all their programs and tools offered are customized and designed with the needs of your child and specific lifestyle challenges. The professionals at Dalewood Health will spend time getting to know you and your child and will analyze your lifestyle and test results to ensure they work with you in providing the best nutritional plan customized to your needs.
Since many lifestyle factors may contribute to being overweight or obese, it will be important for the Dalewood Health team to understand your child’s routines, sleep patterns, stress factors, lifestyle and overall health before helping your family begin their journey to health. Therefore their team may suggest having your child run some routine blood work, physical testing and questioning before getting started. This will allow the team at Dalewood Health to get a full screen picture of your family’s habits and will flag any concerns they have early on.
Exercise and sleep patterns are extremely important for your child to reach their ultimate health goal and it is important that the parents and family of an overweight or obese child be supportive and encouraging to the child suffering. While a gym membership for an adult is a great start, this is not the case for a child. The Dalewood Health professionals will be able to suggest family activities which can easily be incorporated into your family’s daily routines to ensure everyone is moving and getting a good amount of physical activity. The Dalewood Health coaches will also suggest getting your child on a specific sleep pattern to ensure their routine be supported by an appropriate amount of sleep. An easy action suggested may be to limit the amount of television time your child has or video game times usually allowed in the household. Encourage a family activity or walk to not make the overweight child feel singled out. All children should have some form of physical activity every day and should last a minimum of 60 minutes daily. While this may seem like a large amount of time with homework and school, you may be suggested to break up this time into two 30 minute sessions daily. The child may like a morning walk before school and an after school soccer game with friends.
Another great service which Dalewood Health Clinic offers is free services, tools and programs for overweight children ages 5-12 if they have a parent enrolled in any of their other Weight Management or Weight Loss programs at any of their locations! Also, Dalewood Health offers a wide variety of Family Weight Management and Family Weight Loss programs and therapy sessions. These sessions are grouped with sessions offered by their numerous Registered Dietitians and Certified Nutritionists to ensure you have all the right material and tools to get your entire family on the right path to a happier and healthier lifestyle as a family.
It is important for the entire family to be on board and on a healthy path to ensure the child’s ultimate success. Doing so will eliminate any potential harm to the child’s body image, create a unified family motivation and ensure everyone is eating as healthy and nutritionally as possible.
