Dr. David Gray with Covenant Health says he sees cases of obesity in the clinic every day and says it truly is a growing problem.
“We know that an increasing number of kids are dealing with obesity,” he said.
That’s why he recommends annual wellness checks for your children so their physician can measure your child’s height and weight and spend time talking about overall health.
“Part of the challenge with obesity is it may not affect a child now, but it if it persist it will affect them later.”
Dr. Gray says it could increase the risks of diabetes, cardio vascular problems like high blood pressure and stroke and osteoarthritis.
So as a parent, you may be wondering what’s your part.
“It is very important for parents to be role models in helping their kids achieve healthy weight,” said Dr. Gray “Children don’t eat expect what they’re given.”
He says if parents provide appropriate healthy food, the right amount of calories and the right types of foods obesity simply wont be as big a problem.
Because kids absorb information quickly, Dr. Gray says its best to start teaching them healthy habits when they’re young. Ultimately, Dr. Gray says healthy habits lead to a healthy life.
