When Carrie Grainger*, a mom of three from Peterborough, Ont., found herself picking out size 12 clothes for her eight-year-old daughter, Paige*, she realized it might be time to revisit whether her daughter was a healthy weight or it was something to worry about.
Grainger had always thought her husband?s husky build could be the reason for her first daughter?s slightly bigger shape. ?And my doctor had mentioned that kids sometimes sprout out before they sprout up,? she says. But what if Paige was gaining too much too fast" The prospect of dealing with a weight problem was daunting. Grainger struggled with how to move forward. ?I didn?t want to instill a bad body image in her?and I didn?t know for sure if her weight was even an issue,? she says. Obesity is on the rise among young kids. ?About 31 percent of Canadian kids between the ages of five and 17 are considered overweight or obese,? says Tom Warshawski, a Vancouver-based paediatrician and chair of the Childhood Obesity Foundation. According to the foundation, obesity is classified as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. Every child has a body shape that?s just right for them, says Warshawski, but parents might not know whether their child is just carrying a few extra pounds or if their health or well-being is at risk.
Kids who are overweight are vulnerable to a range of health problems, including type 2 diabetes, sleep disorders and mental health issues like depression. But while being ov...