Numerous programs and launches have been aimed at getting children in the United States to eat better, such as removing junk food from school vending machines, but obesity rates remain high and even increased during the pandemic.
So, the question remains: what aren’t these schemes telling us?
Surprisingly, while healthy eating and exercise, are key components for losing weight effectively especially in a child, it is not enough. Child obesity researchers specialized in human development and family science state that acceptance from family and friends is pivotal to prevent unhealthy weight gain in children with obesity.
To find this, Drs Amanda Harrist and Laura Hubbs-Tait from Oklahoma State University followed nearly 1,200 children in first through fourth grades in rural Oklahoma to explore the lives of kids who were overweight or obese.
They developed intervention programs whereby they ascribe a medium to compare the conventional way of working on nutrition and fitness to reduce weight with a way that focuses most on aspects-of-social-emotion of children.
Family and peer acceptance
The randomized trial focused on 511 first graders from 29 Oklahoma schools who at some risk of obesity, that is, their BMI per their age exceeded 75 percent. The students were then divided into control group while the other students underwent three intervention programs. These interventions were based on family style of living, familial relationships and the peer group of the child.
Family lifestyle intervention
This intervention focused on a healthy eating theme and movement, where the children taught how to lead the food choices using the ‘traffic light’ food key. In the previous study, parents and guardians were compelled to monitor what their child consumed in terms of food and how physical the child was.
Another function that helped was how to not fight over food, which is basically fighting about what the child is eating, or whether or not he or she should have dessert because they ate everything else on their plate.
Family dynamics intervention
This method was reserved for enhancement of parenting skills and better manners of handling or controlling heath emotions since children who poorly manage emotions tend to engage in frequent emotional eating. It could also be so effective to teach children how to manage their feelings so they will not eat because of stress or anger.
Children learned how to regulate their feeling, organize speech, and appreciate individuality; parents learned how to appreciate children’s feeling, make the children feel comfortable and secure, and help children solve their problems and accept them with no changes.
Peer group intervention
Research done by this duo showed that the more children weigh, the more their peers are likely to reject them but if children are educated on acceptance, then there is a reduction on rejection that is observed within the class space.
Effect on obesity
Their height and weights were taken before the start of the first-grade and after the intervention implemented for the children in their first, second, third, and fourth grades. All three interventions yielded reduced BMI gains for the children with obesity with the intervention group attaining significantly better results than the control group.
Further analysis reveals that among the children who were classified under severe obesity level, the peer group intervention was most important.
Therefore, based on the results of this study it was proposed that in addition to encouraging appropriate diet and exercise, child obesity can only be addressed through addressing needs related to emotions, mental health and peer pressure.
Source study: Int J Environ Res Public Health—The families and schools for health project: A longitudinal, cluster randomized controlled trial for children of overweight and obesity
This is one of those ‘Best of 2021’ stories in which we are going to look at the most effective solutions we have come across during the year. Today we are showcasing education solutions.
