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A parent's guide to children's weight


Disclaimer: This fact sheet is for educational use only. Please consult your doctor or other health professional to make sure this information is right for your child.

Key points to remember

  • weight is influenced by two things: the food we eat and the activity we do
  • the best thing you can do to help your child achieve a healthy weight is to make changes to your family’s lifestyle to include:
    – more physical activity
    – less high fat and high sugar foods
  • a child is much more likely to succeed if the whole family adopts healthy behaviours

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How do I know if my child is overweight?

The BMI (body mass index) is a way to check if a child is too heavy for their height .
 
Growth charts have been made to compare a child’s BMI to other children at the same age .
 
Your practice nurse can record your child’s BMI and track it over time to check how your child is doing.
 
You can calculate your child's BMI yourself, using a BMI calculator1. 
 

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How does a child’s weight affect their health?

Children who are very overweight face the same health risks as overweight adults in that they are more likely to develop diabetes at any time and heart disease later in life.
 
Problems with being an overweight child include:
  • poor self esteem
  • depression
  • high blood pressure
  • asthma
  • poor exercise capability
  • difficulty breathing during sleep
  • bowed legs
  • flat feet
  • falls and arm fractures
  • underdevelopment of sexual organs (boys)
  • poor functioning ovaries (girls)
  • gallstones
  • persistent chest infections
  • delayed wound healing
  • high blood fats
  • fatty liver
  • diabetes
  • kidney disease
On top of this, overweight children are often picked on and bullied at school.
 
Source: Ebbeling, C.B., Pawlak, D.B., and Ludwig, D.S. (2002) Child obesity: public health crisis, common sense cure. The Lancet 360: 473-482.
 

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How can I help my child achieve a more healthy weight?

Simply speaking, weight is influenced by two things: the food we eat and the activity we do. Genetics, family and social factors also play a role. The best thing you can do to help your child achieve a healthy weight is to make changes to your family’s lifestyle to include more physical activity, and less high fat and high sugar foods.
 
Weight management programmes for all but the most severely overweight children and adolescents should not focus on weight loss. Instead, the goal is to maintain weight while the child gets taller and more muscular over time.
 
A child is much more likely to succeed if the whole family adopts healthy behaviours. When all family members join in positive activities, you’ll not only help your overweight child, you’ll also become a healthier and closer family.
 

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Suggestions for becoming a healthier family

  • eat out less and buy fewer takeaways
    – children consume more calories when they eat meals at restaurants rather than at home
  • try not to have a TV or computer in the bedroom and decrease television viewing time (ideally less than 1 hour per day)
  • try to have family meals at the dinner table with the television switched off
    – this reduces TV viewing time and improves diet quality
  • use smaller plates – over the last 20 years average portion size has dramatically increased
  • introduce new foods gradually
    – focus on eating behaviours rather than a diet; for example, avoid sugar-containing drinks (including fruit drinks)
  • support participation in physical activity
    – encourage family involvement in regular physical activity
    – walk instead of taking the car or bus
  • be a positive role model – set a good example with healthy eating and increased activity
  • children generally eat what is available at home – carefully look at what you buy at the supermarket and do not always get what everybody wants!

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Download and print a colour brochure

This fact sheet is based on a brochure produced by Healthy Lifestyle Education, South Link Health.You can download and print a colour copy of A parent’s guide to children’s weight in pdf format.
 

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Where to go for more information

Calculators and tools at the U.S Department of Agriculture / Agricultural Research Services Children’s Nutrition Research Centre website

  • use the BMI calculator2 to determine whether your child is at a healthy weight for their height, age and gender
  • find out how many calories your child needs and which foods will help them grow and develop without excessive weight gain by using a healthy eating calculator3 
  • see the impact that physical activity has on your child's daily energy needs with a children’s energy needs calculator4 

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Acknowledgements

Starship Foundation and the Paediatric Society of New Zealand acknowledge the co-operation of Healthy Lifestyle Education, South Link Health in making this fact sheet available to families.
 

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Links   (these are the web addresses for the numbered links in the text above)


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Endorsement

This fact sheet was endorsed by PSNZ - 01/06/2006

Copyright

Fact sheets are subject to copyright. In the interests of information sharing they may be copied but acknowledgement must be given to PSNZ and Starship Foundation.
© The Paediatric Society of New Zealand and Starship Foundation 2005 - 2010


The Paediatric Society of New Zealand
http://www.paediatrics.org.nz 		Starship Foundation
http://www.starship.org.nz