Childhood Obesity Part 3 – should I ask my child to go on a Nutrition & Eating habits?

Expert advice is that most children who are overweight should not be encouraged to actually lose weight. Instead they are encouraged to maintain their weight, so they gradually “grow into it” as they get taller. Children should never be put on a weight-loss diet without medical advice as this can affect their growth. Unregulated dieting – particularly in teenage girls – is thought to lead to the development of eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. No drug treatment has been proven effective in the treatment of weight problems in children. The good news is that all the evidence shows that it is much easier to change a child’s eating and exercise habits than it is to alter an adult’s.