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How do I know if my child has a weight problem
Disclaimer: This fact sheet is for education purposes only. Please consult with your doctor or other health professional to make sure this information is right for your child.
PDF Version available- Overweight and obesity in childhood is a serious problem in Australia.
- Up to 1 in 4 school-aged children in New South Wales are overweight or obese.
- Being overweight or obese increases the risk of developing ongoing health problems.
- Obesity is a sensitive issue and discussion of weight in relation to children needs to be handled with care. If your child does have a weight problem, it is better to not label a child as overweight or obese, but to consider what needs to be changed in order for the child to be within the healthy weight range.
- If you think your child may have a weight problem then you should arrange for your child to be reviewed by your General Practitioner (GP) or General Paediatrician. Review should include assessment of your child's height and weight and body mass index (BMI).
- Signs indicating that children may have a weight problem include:
- If they wear clothes that are much larger than their age (more than 2 sizes above their age)
- If they are much bigger than the other children in their class at school.
- If they watch more than 3 hours of television each day.
- If they eat just as much, or more than, adults.
- If they eat takeaway food more than twice a week.
- If they get very puffed when doing physical activity.
- If they constantly say they are hungry or are always looking for food.
- If your child has more than one of the above features, it is a good idea to take them to your GP or Paediatrician for an assessment.
- Overweight and obesity is a serious problem in Australia.
- Early identification and management of overweight and obesity in childhood is more likely to prevent long term weight problems.
- Parents play a key role in the management of childhood overweight and obesity.
- If you think that your child may have a weight problem, take them to your local GP or paediatrician for assessment.
For publications recommended by our hospitals' experts, please visit our book shop.
The Children's Hospital at Westmead Tel: (02) 9845 0000 Fax: (02) 9845 3562 www.chw.edu.au |
Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick Tel: (02) 9382 1688 Fax: (02) 9382 1451 www.sch.edu.au |
Kaleidoscope, Hunter Children's Health Network Tel: (02) 4921 3670 Fax: (02) 4921 3599 www.kaleidoscope.org.au |
© The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney Children's Hospital, Randwick
& Kaleidoscope, Hunter Children's Health Network - 2005-2012.
& Kaleidoscope, Hunter Children's Health Network - 2005-2012.
