Your Child’s Health

Help your child stay healthy and fit!

Ask Dr. Tim

With the spring months and warmer temperatures quickly approaching, now is a perfect time to plan some outdoor activities for your family.

A recent study by Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Public Health and Express Scripts Inc. found that between 2002 and 2005, the use of type 2 diabetes medication more than doubled among girls ages 5 to 19. Type 2 diabetes is closely linked to obesity, and it’s a growing problem for boys and girls alike.

Given these findings, it is important for parents to look at their child’s eating and exercise habits and to start making small changes.

“The simple explanation for childhood obesity is that the calories children take in are greater than the calories they burn off,” says Donna Halloran, M.D., pediatrician at Cardinal Glennon and a researcher on the study. “The answer of how to solve this growing problem is much more complicated.”

Parents can make the first step by taking their child to see a clinical nutritionist or enrolling in Cardinal Glennon’s Weight Management Program, where a doctor can look at the child’s eating habits and help him or her take steps toward a healthier lifestyle.

At home, start by replacing juice drinks, which are loaded with sugar and calories, with water and fresh fruit and vegetables, and by limiting your child’s serving sizes.

Staying fit also is important. The current fitness recommendation is 60 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week. This can include a brisk walk or jog, light sporting activity or biking. Help your child find an enjoyable activity, and he or she will be more likely to do it. Remember, a family that stays fit together will grow healthy together.