Obesity is one of leading issues affecting children in the United States, with nearly 25 percent of children from age 12 to 19 being overweight. Excess body weight can adversely affect a child’s health and well-being. Properly addressing an irregular body mass index (BMI) in children with proper nutrition and exercise is vital to helping them lead happy, healthy lives.
If your child is struggling with their weight, you can rely on our team at Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG) Bariatrics to deliver a tailored treatment plan and guidance to help them reach optimal health. We offer bariatric treatment to the pediatric population between the ages of 12 through 17. Our team consists of an obesity medicine specialist, a dietitian and a behavioral health specialist who will create an individualized plan to help your child achieve and maintain nutritional, physical and behavioral goals.
What are the symptoms of childhood obesity?
The broadest symptom of childhood obesity is simply being overweight. Excess weight can lead to the development of other symptoms. Some of the other common symptoms of childhood obesity may include:
- Visible weight gain
- Shortness of breath
- Reduced activity
- Profuse sweating
- Joint pain
- Early or delayed puberty
What causes childhood obesity?
Childhood obesity can be caused by a variety of factors. Some common causes of childhood obesity may include:
- Genetics: Genetic factors like family history and gestational (during pregnancy) diabetes can contribute to a child becoming overweight.
- Diet: Children who lack proper nutrition or eat a diet consisting mostly of processed and sugary foods often become overweight.
- Lack of exercise: Excess screen time and lack recommended amounts of daily physical activity are often contributing factors in childhood obesity.
- Social factors: The home environment and familial attitudes are often the cause of unhealthy weights in children, as poor food choices and sedentary lifestyles are learned behaviors.
- Health conditions: Hormonal imbalances, genetic conditions and certain medications can cause children to become overweight.
Who’s at risk for childhood obesity?
While any child can develop an issue with excess weight, certain children are at a higher risk than others. Some common risk factors for developing childhood obesity include:
- Living in poverty
- Having overweight family members
- Experiencing trauma and stress
- Being in underserved communities
- Having certain medical conditions
- Exposure to second hand smoke
How is childhood obesity diagnosed?
Healthcare providers use growth charts to compare weight and height against children of the same age and sex to determine the body mass index (BMI) of a child. If a child is overweight, they will score a higher range on the BMI scale. The typical categorization of BMI ranges in overweight children are:
- Overweight: 85th to 94th percentile of BMI
- Obese: 95th to 99th percentile of BMI or BMI > 30
- Severely obese: greater than 99th percentile of BMI or BMI > 35
Your NGPG Bariatrics provider will use your child’s BMI in combination with their health history, environment and behavior to determine a course of action to address the issue.
How is childhood obesity treated?
If your provider determines that your child’s weight poses a risk to their health, a comprehensive treatment program is typically what is recommended. Adolescent weight loss programs take into consideration multiple parts of your child’s physical and mental well-being. NGPG Bariatrics offers the Adolescent Medicine Program for overweight children ages 12 to 19 to help address and lose excess weight.
What is the Adolescent Medicine Program?
At NGPG Bariatrics, our Adolescent Medicine Program helps our young patients overcome obesity and regain their health. Our team of dieticians, obesity medicine and behavioral health specialists work to improve your child’s nutrition, exercise and mindset – helping them with weight loss and everyday function. We welcome and encourage parents and siblings to come to visits, as helping your child succeed in becoming healthier will require the efforts of the entire family.
We approach helping adolescents lose weight through:
- Goals: Creating achievable health goals for your child and family.
- Nutrition: Establishing a nutrition plan that will help your child lose weight while meeting recommended diet intake.
- Lifestyle education: Integrating healthy behaviors and daily exercise into your home-life.
- Medications: Supplying certain weight loss drugs or supplements if necessary.
- Medical supervision: Weight loss progress and health monitoring by our expert staff.
- Continued support: Access to continued and personalized support, ensuring your child’s long-term success.
Choose NGPG for Adolescent Medicine Program
At NGPG, we understand that navigating weight loss for your child can be stressful. If your child is struggling to lose weight, you can rely on our team at NGPG Bariatrics to help them move in the right direction.
We offer our Adolescent Medicine Program to our pediatric patients across North Georgia, tailored to individual and family weight loss goals. Our team of specialists are devoted to helping your child develop healthy eating habits and incorporate physical activity as part of their daily life.