9-Year-Old Beats Childhood Obesity and Loses 65 Pounds ...

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Yvelette Stines in Health

Courtesy of CNN.com

As reports of the childhood obesity epidemic hit home, parents around the country are struggling to figure out how to help their kids lose weight. About 12.5 million children 2 to 19 are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That extra weight can lead to serious health problems, including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and psychosocial issues such as peer discrimination or poor self-esteem.

?Parents are in a really tough position,? says Dr. Elissa Jelalian, a staff psychologist at the Weight Control and Diabetes Research Center who focuses on the development of intervention programs for children. ?They feel they are not doing a good job as parents if their child is struggling with weight. ? Parents see the potential health consequences, but kids aren?t in tune with that.

Bond understands that frustration well. As a baby, she says, Breanna had a hearty appetite, and her parents joked that she would grow up to be like her dad ? a 6-foot, 200-pound man.

By the time she was a year old, Breanna weighed close to 25 pounds. Bond asked their pediatrician whether she should be concerned, but he assured her Breanna would grow into the weight. Over the next few years, Breanna packed on the pounds. In preschool, she was bigger than any of the other kids in her class.

Her parents hired a nutritionist, but the healthy habits didn?t stick. They brought their daughter to a psychologist and an endocrinologist; both said Breanna?s test results were normal. Breanna joined a dance class and a swim team, but her weight continued to climb.

?Kids teased me,? Breanna says. ?They called me chubby and fatty-o.?

Read the rest of the story here.

Peace and blessings,

Yvelette

(Photos: CNN and Heidi Bond)

Tags: Childhood Obesity, CNN, diet, eating, exercise, Health, HomeRight, Wellness

Source: http://calmingcorners.com/2012/12/9-year-old-beats-childhood-obesity-and-loses-65-pounds/

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