(Insert your name here) Support Children’s Healthy Growth (Insert your name here) Workshop Presentation

Support Children’s Healthy Growth This presentation is intended for trainers to provide detailed information about supporting children’s healthy growth and preventing overweight. The project was supported by the National Research Initiative of the USDA National Research Initiative Grant #

Objectives Learner will be able to: – Describe the prevalence of childhood overweight. – Identify the causes of childhood overweight. – Describe ways to prevent childhood overweight and support children’s healthy weight. – Recognize the role of active play in supporting children’s healthy growth.

What’s Everyone Talking About? As of 2004, 66.3% of adults 20 years and older are overweight. 32.2% are considered obese.

Overweight and Obesity

Adults Aren’t The Only Ones Being Overweight is a growing trend both for adults and children.

Prevalence of Childhood Overweight Increased from 5% to 13.9% for children aged 2-5 years the past 30 years.

Why a concern? Low self-esteem

Why a concern? Health Complications Diabetes

Why a concern? Health Complications Heart Disease

Why a concern? Health Complications Orthopedic Problems

Why a concern? Health Complications Sleep Problems

Why a concern? Obese children are more likely to be obese adults

Causes of Childhood Overweight? GeneticsEnvironment

Causes of Childhood Overweight? GeneticsEnvironment

Causes of Childhood Overweight? Environment

Identifying childhood overweight

How can you tell? The Body Mass Index, or BMI, is a measure of how proportionate a person’s weight is to their height.

Calculating BMI Weight (lb) / [height (in)] 2 x 703

Interpreting Children’s BMI BMI is also the measure of choice for children over 2 BUT must be interpreted with care!

Interpreting Children’s BMI Children’s BMIs change with age so that what is normal for a 6-year-old is quite different than for a 12-year-old. See for more information.

Example: 95th Percentile Tracking Age BMI 2 yrs yrs yrs yrs 25.1 For Children, BMI Changes with Age Boys: 2 to 20 years BMI

BMI-for-Age Cutoffs > 95 th percentile Overweight 85 th to < 95 th Percentile Risk of overweight < 5 th percentile Underweight

Supporting a healthy weight is important…what can we do?

Children’s Healthy Weight Ideally, all children would to be at a healthy weight. BUT preventing weight gain is a great goal. An achievable goal for children is to lead a healthy life regardless of their weight.

Supporting Children’s Healthy Weight Support breastfeeding in your child care setting!

Supporting Children’s Healthy Weight Encourage the introduction of solid foods at approximately 6 months!

Supporting Children’s Healthy Weight Offer children small portions!

Supporting Children’s Healthy Weight No TV at mealtimes!

More ways to prevent overweight and support a healthy weight Visit: veplay/ for information on feeding strategies veplay/

Active Play Being physical active is critical to supporting children’s healthy weight! Visit /mealtimeandactiveplay

Treatment and Partnership Treatment is prescribed by the child’s physician Critical to partner: you, parent, and the child’s physician!

Questions?