Those extra kilos that youngsters placed on in the course of the growing years are sometimes linked to serious long-term health conditions of their future. Researchers say kids diagnosed with obesity should kick-start treatment early, even at pre-school age, with intensive parent support for lasting results.

In a latest study, published within the International Journal of Obesity, researchers from Karolinska Institute in Sweden analyzed over 170 young children diagnosed with obesity.

All of the participants and their parents were randomly assigned to certainly one of three treatment groups: a regular treatment group, a bunch with parental support and a parental support group that has follow-up telephone support.

In the usual treatment group, each children and fogeys had meetings with doctors and pediatricians, who emphasized weight loss plan and exercise. The 2 parental support groups didn’t include the youngsters. They focused on educating parents for positively encouraging healthy family lifestyles, without creating conflicts.

“Such conversations can center on how you can set boundaries, how you can teach children latest behaviors, and how you can communicate with preschools, grandmothers, neighbors and other adults in the youngsters’s world,” Paulina Nowicka, principal investigator of the study, said in a news release.

Although children in all three groups had weight reduction after 12 months, the group that received parental support, especially those that received follow-up phone calls showed one of the best results.

“We also found that more children on this third group showed a clinically relevant improvement of their weight status related to higher metabolic health, by which I mean higher levels of blood lipids and glucose,” Nowicka said.

Most parents know the food that’s healthy for the kid, however the dilemma is when the kid all the time feels hungry. The trick is constructing a structure at home and reducing weight without making food a taboo, Nowicka noted.

“You’ve gotten to try to construct a transparent structure at home, one which makes the kid know that lunch is on its way and know that they will be getting supper. But you furthermore mght have to do things together to strengthen family bonds, like getting the kid involved within the cooking, giving the kid vegetables in the event that they’re hungry, and never rewarding them with food. It is also essential to ensure that food is not related to emotions and achievement,” she said.

Nowicka also identified that intensive obesity treatment is protected and efficacious for preschool children.

“Treating children at that age is way more effective than in case you start treating them of their teens. Some adolescents are possible bariatric surgery and we hope that this may be avoided with earlier treatment,” she added.

Published by Medicaldaily.com