Obesity is a family affair. If you are overweight or obese, you children are at a much higher risk of being overweight or obese too. Recent studies have confirmed that children who are overweight or obese are more likely to have significant health issues such as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Dealing with obesity is complicated because it can affect the health of your whole family, how you eat and the lifestyle choices you make. Today I am going to focus on developing a family plan for dealing with obesity and GERD.
Childhood Obesity and GERD
Childhood obesity is on the rise and is causing or worsening many conditions we associate with adults such as diabetes, asthma, sleep apnea and heart disease. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease is another common condition that occurs with childhood obesity. The good news is the reflux symptoms can be decreased or eliminated by slowing weight gain and changing eating habits.
I have written extensively about childhood obesity and GERD. Check out these Shareposts for more information:
Let’s Move: Obesity and its Affect on Acid Reflux
Best Treatments for Childhood Obesity and GERD
Facing the Scale
If you are like most people, you don’t like to step up onto the scale and see the numbers. It turns out we are not very good judges of our own weight. Only the scale knows. You can take things a step further and check your Body Mass Index or BMI using the BMI Calculator. If your weight and BMI indicate you are heading into trouble, now it is time to check in with the doctor.
Ask the Doctor
As parents and caretakers, we are often vigilant about taking our children to the doctor but neglect our own medical needs. We are all crazy-busy but manage to get the baby to the 4 month, 6 month and 12 month appointment right on time. Somehow you will need to figure out how to squeeze in an appointment for yourself. If you are overweight or obese, it is important to find out your calorie needs, exercise limits and goals just like your child.
Day to Day: Eating
On a day to day basis, there are many small but significant ways to make healthy eating a family affair. In our household, we have a “Snack Drawer”. The drawer is low enough that even the little ones can access it. It is filled with healthy snack choices such as: dried fruit and nuts, low salt/low fat crackers and popcorn.
Your little ones watch what you eat and how you eat. Measure out a portion size and make your own one hundred calorie pack. Our house rule is: all food is eaten at the table. No food is eaten at the couch, in front of the TV or in bed. Period. It is easier to implement this rule when your children are very young. If this is a long standing habit, it may take some time to slowly change the household rules.
There may be some problems where a low calorie/low fat diet meets a low acid diet for reflux. It may seem like there is nothing “safe” to eat. It is easy to get discouraged and give up. In addition, your child with reflux may crave carbohydrates since these are easily digested and skip the other food groups. If you feel like you need extra assistance finding suitable foods and planning meals, ask for a referral to a dietician.
