School Obesity Programs May Promote Worrisome Eating Behaviors and Physical Activity in Kids
Key points
- Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health examines the possible association between school-based childhood obesity prevention programs and an increase in eating disorders among young children and adolescents.
- The Poll asked parents about obesity prevention programs in their children’s schools and about food-related behaviors and activity that may be worrisome.
- Overall, 82 percent of parents of children age 6-14 report at least one school-based childhood obesity intervention program taking place in their child’s school.
- Additionally, 7 percent of parents report that their children have been made to feel bad at school about what or how much they were eating.
A new report from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health examines the possible association between school-based childhood obesity prevention programs and an increase in eating disorders among young children and adolescents.
The Poll asked parents about obesity prevention programs in their children’s schools and about food-related behaviors and activity that may be worrisome.
Overall, 82 percent of parents of children age 6-14 report at least one school-based childhood obesity intervention program taking place in their child’s school. Among these programs are nutrition education, limits on sweets or “junk food” in the classroom, height and weight measurements, and incentives for physical activity.
Additionally, 7 percent of parents report that their children have been made to feel bad at school about what or how much they were eating.
This same group of parents was also asked about their children’s eating behaviors.
Thirty percent of parents of 6-14 year-olds report least one behavior in their children that could be associated with the development of an eating disorder. These behaviors include inappropriate dieting, excessive worry about fat in foods, being preoccupied with food content or labels, refusing family meals, and having too much physical activity.
Do School Obesity Programs Cause Eating Disorders? A new report out Tuesday shows that school obesity programs may promote worrisome eating behaviors in kids.
The report from the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital shows that 30 percent of parents say they see at least one behavior in their children that could be associated with the development of eating disorders.
WWJ Newsradio 950 spoke with David Rosen, a professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the University of Michigan.
“We have to be really careful that we’re not putting things out there, particularly to younger kids, that might be misinterpreted, not be given appropriate supervision, and being done in ways that kids can, or some kids, can go off in dangerous directions and have bad outcomes,” Rosen said.
Rosen said it’s important that parents get involved and keep an eye out.
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CBS Local Media
“The issue of childhood obesity is a serious problem. In order to intervene in what seems like an epidemic of childhood obesity, everyone needs to be involved,” says David Rosen, M.D., M.P.H., Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, and Psychiatry at the University of Michigan Medical School and Chief of Teenage and Young Adult Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics.
However, Rosen says, “When obesity interventions are put in place without understanding how they work and what the risks are, there can be unintended consequences. Well-intentioned efforts can go awry when children misinterpret the information they’re given.
Written and revised by
Gerald Hurowitz, M.D.
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