Kids’ Waistlines Stabilizing, But More Work Needs to Be Done

Despite a new study showing that American children’s waistlines did not expand from 2002 through 2013, there are still a vast number of children who are overweight and obese, a New York registered dietitian says.

About one third of American children and adults were considered either overweight or obese in 2012, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

So what should parents do if they are concerned about their child’s weight? 

“I think that it starts in the home,” says Marlo Mittler, MS, RD, adolescent medicine dietitian at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. “I think in your house, trying to be aware that it’s never too early to start teaching your kids to eat healthily. So it’s important to incorporate fruits and vegetables in a balanced diet; fast food isn’t always the answer. I think you also need to be proactive in talking to your schools and your camps and your educators so that everybody’s on the same page in learning how to educate our kids about eating balanced meals, looking at portions and not waiting until your kid or your family is overweight.”

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