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Childhood Obesity: A Hard Look at a Growing Problem

The numbers are staggering: In California, one out of every three children is overweight, the number of overweight children ages 6-11 tripling in the last 30 years. The ramifications are simply frightening. Obesity in children can lead to serious health problems, including obstructive sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes mellitus, polycystic ovaries, fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, high lipids such as cholesterol or triglycerides, orthopedic problems, and depression.

With so much at stake, the UCSD and Rady Children's Hospital Gastroenterology and Nutrition Division know that true research into the causes, treatments and ramifications of childhood obesity is vital for our children's future.

"We study how body fat causes health problems," says Dr. Jeffrey Schwimmer, who runs Rady Children's Weight and Wellness Center. "The information we learn helps doctors do a better job in both preventing and curing these diseases."

One project explores the relationship between where fat is stored and problems, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance. In this innovative study, Dr. Schwimmer's team uses total body MRI scans. Another project focuses on the genetics of the hormones made by fat cells that contribute to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and liver disease. The study provides free family health screening.

Dr. Schwimmer is also on the forefront of research studying fatty liver disease, a rapidly growing problem for overweight children. His work, part of a seven-year study with National Institute of Health Institute for Digestive Diseases (NIDDK), seeks to identify environment factors, pathology, treatment options and non-invasive ways to diagnose the disease.

The UCSD and Rady Children's Hospital Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism is also actively involved in research and treatments for obesity and obesity-related conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and polycystic ovaries.  Division Director Dr. Michael Gottschalk is currently recruiting for an innovative web-based study (PACE) to help treat obese adolescents who are at high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The division also offers a specialized lipid disorder clinic, headed by Dr. Ron Newfield.
 
It all adds up to a comprehensive approach to the study and treatment of childhood obesity - one that is helping making the outlook a little brighter for our region's children.

Preventing Childhood Obesity
Tips for Parents with Children 0-4 Years Old

Research is crucial to our understanding of childhood obesity issues, but there's a lot parents can do in the first four years of a child's life to help prevent these problems from ever happening. Rady Children's Center for Healthier Communities for Children stresses that helping your child could mean making some changes in the ways YOU eat, exercise and spend time together. The key steps?

  1. Breastfeed your baby for at least six months without other foods or liquids.
  2. Limit "junk foods" and "fast foods" to once in a while, and give water instead of soda, juice or other sweet drinks.
  3. Offer small portions of healthy foods and let your child decide when is she or he are full, and how much they need to eat at each meal.
  4. Increase your child's daily physical play and physical activity.
  5. Increase YOUR physical activity. Be a role model
  6. Decrease screen time (TV, videos, computer, etc.), keeping TV watching under 2 hours a day.

Free materials about keeping kids safe and healthy and preventing them from becoming overweight are available by calling the Center at 858-966-7748.