Childhood Obesity: Finding Programs That Work in the Fight Against Obesity

Childhood obesity is not just purely a health care topic but is a subject debated by schools and policymakers the world over. For the last few decades, it has been the focal point of television programs, news articles, and research. With the percentage of obese adults and children tripling since 1970, the issue is far from being resolved.

Many see obesity as an issue that is mainly related to over-eating. However, in many cases, the root is biological. It is also a social issue. Today, children spend less time doing physical activity and more time in front of a computer screen. Current research shows that limiting screen time has a positive impact on increasing a child’s cognition and mental health.

School Based Programs

There is debate as to what program works best. There is literature that both supports and questions the success of school-based obesity prevention programs. The side ‘for’ argues that school programs with multiple components work best. Initiatives that address physical activity improve the executive function (i.e., memory, organization, time management and planning skills) of middle school students. Programs focusing on eating disorders decrease weight control behaviors like fasting or food binging.

The picture seems positive so far, so just what are the drawbacks? Research by the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health demonstrates that only 48% of schools provide these programs. Of the 247 school principals that took part in the survey; many replied that financial, training, and time obstacles prevent the establishment of these programs in their schools.

Review of Current Research

Research by J. Zolotarjova of the Centre for Overweight Adolescent and Children’s Healthcare (COACH), and others, demonstrate that programs using more than one component or treatment are more successful than those programs that don’t. However, studies still prove inconclusive in identifying the one treatment method that makes more of a contribution.

Writing for HealthDay.com, Chris Woolston and others argue that parents act as key role models for their children, especially when it comes to losing weight. Others, such as Kissairis Munoz writing for DrAxe.com, say parents’ involvement is a significant predictor of a program’s success.

I will now discuss how weight loss programs can help kids of different ages overcome obesity.

The Weil Cornell Kids and Teens Healthy Weight Program

The Weil Cornell Kids and Teens Healthy Weight Program is custom made for children and teens of different ages. In the first session; kids, teens, and their families learn about what nutritional requirements relate to effective weight management. In the second session, they teach participants how to read food labels so they can select the appropriate food items. In subsequent sessions, they design meal plans and menus built around nutritional requirements. They also recommendations as to exercise, what to do when eating out, and creative snacks for school and at home. 

Jean Strobber and the Digital Technology Kurbo Program

For many parents, knowing their child is diagnosed as overweight is scary. Especially when there are very few options for weight loss programs that are both affordable and available. This familiar experience is a common one for many parents. Joanne Strobber decided to find a solution to this pressing problem. She collaborated with her friend, Thea Runyan, to build a company that meets the needs of her son and millions like him. They based their weight loss solution on the traffic light diet developed by Dr. Len Epstein. Their idea was to help children make a distinction between what was healthy and what was not. To do this Strobber and Runyan introduced games getting kids to monitor their own dietary choices in carefully created categories: red, yellow and green.

• Green- stands for low glycemic eat-all-you want foods such as carrots or broccoli
• Yellow- stands for progress with caution representing foods such as whole wheat pasta or eggs
• Red- stands for foods that need to be limited such as candy, soda or cheese

Kurbo, unlike many weight loss programs, avoids calorie counting. Instead, it encourages kids to minimize their intake of red foods at a steady pace. It is also very different to Adult programs such as Weight Watchers; here participants lose weight at a much quicker rate which is unsafe for children.

The Take Away

Obesity is a challenge faced by many children nationwide. Research shows that obesity prevention programs with not just one, but multiple components provide a full picture as to what works. It will be interesting to see if future research can uncover a treatment or an approach in multi-faced programs that are more effective than the rest.

Many of the nation’s schools play a crucial part in providing educational programs. However, as research shows, they face several roadblocks of time and finance that get in their way.

Finally, perhaps the heroines of this piece are Joanne Strobber and Thea Runyan who have sprinkled innovational magic dust on Dr. Len Epstein’s approach and made it fun and workable for families and their children.

By: Jonathan Gordon