Meet Our Get-Fit Families:
The Welch Family	The Robinson-Whitfield Family	The Davis Family

Would you strap two or three bags of potatoes onto your child every morning and send them off to school? Of course not. So when your child gains 20 pounds you shouldn’t sit by idly waiting for the problem to correct itself.    This month, we begin our three-part “Weighing in on Childhood Obesity” series with an introduction to the epidemic. Next month, we’ll emphasize nutrition and in November fitness will be the focus.    Atlanta Parent will also be following three local families that are participating in our Get Fit Makeover. These families will work with nutrition and fitness experts to learn healthier choices and create a better lifestyle. We invite you to follow along, and to use their experiences as an example to help your own family and friends live healthier, longer, happier lives.

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by Tiffany Capuano

When 6-year-old Nick Watson of Kennesaw was urged by his pediatrician to see a dietitian, his mom Stephanie grew concerned. An active child, Nick has teetered in the 95th percentile – a rank based on height and weight for kids his age – since birth. If Nick’s growth continues at the same pace, says his pediatrician, he could soon be facing not just being overweight, but the diseases that accompany it.

Health disorders such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, asthma, sleep apnea, diabetes, arthritis and depression – all typically reserved for adults – are popping up in children, even under the age of 10.

“A child’s body is not built to handle the extra weight,” says Seema Csukas, director of child health promotion at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “Overweight children face bone fractures, joint pain, and asthma from the weight on the lungs.”

What is Obesity?

At each annual medical exam, children are assessed for growth based on age and gender. Height (or length) and weight are recorded and plotted on a standard growth chart, with different charts for boys and girls. This measurement is often called the body mass index, or BMI, although it doesn’t directly measure body fat.

Based on their age, children with a BMI between the 85th and 94th percentile for their age are termed “overweight,” and those above the 95th percentile are termed “obese,” according to the latest report issued by the American Medical Association released July 9.

Some doctors say the term “obese” is rarely used for children and is not accurate. “It’s just semantics,” says Dr. Ana Combes of East Paulding Wellstar Pediatrics. But the real concern is the growing number of children falling into these categories, she adds.

“Childhood obesity is definitely an epidemic,” says Csukas. “It’s happening more and at a younger age.”

A long-term study released last summer by Harvard University showed a nearly 60 percent increase in young children tending toward overweight, from 6.3 percent to 10 percent of kids under age 6. Even babies are getting fatter; over a 20-year period, researchers noted a 74 percent rise in obesity among infants up to 6 months old.

Higher Health Risks

“Trends for obesity have been dramatic in the past two decades,” says Venkat Narayan, a professor of epidemiology at Emory University. Narayan researches the close link between obesity and diabetes, which he calls “diabesity,” since the two diseases often go hand in hand.

Diabetes can also lead to long-term complications like kidney dysfunction, blindness and circulation problems, warns Csukas.

Csukas also worries about the quality of life for children, particularly the behavioral and psychological component. Besides tiring easily and not being able to do as much, overweight kids have self-esteem issues, feel isolated and are often teased by others, says Csukas.

“The longer children have these complications, the more frequent the hospital or doctor visits,” she says. “With changes in lifestyle, diseases like diabetes can be controlled or eliminated.”

“If we lose just 7 percent of current body weight, we can reduce the risk of diabetes by 50 percent,” Narayan says. “We need to redirect diets and promote physical activity.”

One Step At A Time

Kaitlin Ramspeck, an 11-year-old from Cumming, knows what it’s like to be overweight. At 118 pounds, she longed to be more like her thinner girlfriends. In May 2006, she made a change for herself.

“Kids were making fun of me at school,” she says. “I realized I was so in love with food and I didn’t want to give it up. I had to challenge myself to lose weight.”

Ramspeck began taking daily walks with her mom and making healthier food choices. She became more aware of portion size and gave up some of her favorite junk foods, like marshmallows and fruit rollups. She did it with tremendous support from her family and friends.

Ramspeck remembers how she used to eat all day long. Today, she packs her own lunch for school and she stopped drinking sugary drinks. She opts for salads instead of pizza, and as a reward for a job well done each week, she’ll allow herself one bowl of ice cream.

“It’s not about good foods or bad foods,” says Csukas, “It’s about changing habits. We can have ice cream, but it doesn’t need to be a daily occurrence.”

“I pay attention to how much TV I watch, so I’m not on the couch all day,” Ramspeck says. Her daily walks are now mixed with horseback riding lessons and soccer practice.

“When I was really overweight, I would get mad at myself,” says Ramspeck. Today, after a 25 lb. weight loss, she’s feeling much better and more confident – a testament to her hard work.

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