Signs Of Obesity In Children
By Elizabeth Radisson
Obesity is now considered among the most problematic dietary concerns facing Americans today. This increasing problem is seen to be of particular concern among children. Specific symptoms in childhood can aid to identify the beginnings of a weight problem and can be explored for the purpose of intervention and prevention.
Obesity in children occurs when more calories are consumed than used on a regular basis and normally involves inactivity on the part of the children with sedentary lifestyles. Serious health problems can arise from being continually overweight, among both children and adults.
Parents are largely responsible for the fitness of their children and are encouraged to take steps to prevent and recognize the signs of obesity when they occur. There is a need to recognize and identify the indicators of obesity.
Parents should be aware of their child’s weight and activity level. Measuring a child’s height and weight can help you identify if your child is considered obese, based on their ideal weight for sex, height and age, using the Body Mass Index. If your child is significantly beyond their ideal weight, they may be obese, though this is not the only consideration involved.
A child’s body frame type can also be factored into an ideal weight consideration. Frequent symptoms involved in determining obesity include the disproportionate appearance of facial features, increased fat, known as adipose tissue, in the chest area of boys, an unusually large belly, exceptionally small male genitals and the early onset of puberty.
Obesity is typically tracked back to childhood and can often be expected to persist throughout one’s life. Early detection and therapy for obesity in children is a necessary step to reversing the path of obesity into adulthood.
It is important for parents to pay close attention to any signs of obesity, especially those with overweight children. Parents of overweight children need to scrutinize their child’s eating habits and establish healthy eating plans for them. This is a necessary preventative measure to ward off the development of medical conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
A family-wide approach is ideal when treating child obesity. Support and encouragement from family members is critical in aiding a child to deal with weight problems. Family collaboration in healthy eating habits is just as critical in the child’s success. Family members that overindulge themselves will likely hinder the success of the obese child and help preserve environment conducive to maintaining obesity. A long-term program involving the whole family shouldering the burden with the child is mandatory for long-term success in fighting child obesity.
Get him involved in swimmimg. It is good exercise and does not stress the joints. Also warm baths. Massage.
If he is missing school because of pain, ask for the school district for a 504 plan. Under this plan, he can get accomodations that include PT at school, extra time to change classes, an elevator pass, emergency evacuation plan, extra set of books for home. the school may have a health impaired program so if he is home from school, he gets a tutor. You need to call before a certain time. They may also provide a wheelchair or scooter just for school.
Many PT offices will see people without health insurace for a very small fee or even free. If you leve near a PT school, many of the professors may treat for free as well as long as you have a script.
JRA is autoimmune. Everyone is different.
Email me if you have any questions, I am a Board certified pediatric board certfied physical therapist that works in the public schools.
http://www.rheumatology.org/public/factsheets/diseases_and_conditions/juvenilearthritis.asp
http://www.arthritis.org/
Would you be willing to sign and date a formal document supporting President Bush’s policy and decision?
on the issue of stem cell research……….
The following are diseases and conditions that research shows can be cured through the development of embryonic stem cell therapy.
Type 1 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis
There are around one million Americans suffering from type 1 diabetes, which represents somewhere between 5% and 10% of the total number of Americans suffering both type 1 and type 2 forms of the disease. Type 1 diabetes often first appears in children over the age of 4, and is especially seen with the arrival of early adolescence at around 12 or 13 years of age. 1,000,000 children.
About 700,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke each year and more than 158,000 of them will die, according to the American Cancer Society. Over the course
of 40 years, that comes to a total of 6,320,000 people who will die from strokes.
(continued)
More than 910,000 Americans still die of heart disease annually, according to the American Heart Association. Over the course of 40 years that comes to 36,400,000
that will die from a treatable disease.
Estimated new cancer cases in the United States for the year 2002, according to the American Cancer Society (Year 2002 Surveillance Research from the American Cancer Society). It is estimated that about 555,500 Americans will die from cancer, corresponding to 1,500 deaths per day. Over the next 40 years that is 22,200,000 deaths.
5 million people in the United States suffer from Alzheimer’s disease. 25% of these
People will die from the effects of the disease annually. That’s 60,000,000 people
That will die from it’s effects over the next 40 years.
The following statistics from the CDC show that on average in the United States in 2005, someone died in a fire about every 2 hours (143 minutes), and someone was injured every 29 minutes (Karter 2006). In 2005, fire departments responded to 396,000 home fires in the United States, which claimed the lives of 3,030 people (not including firefighters). Treatable burns will claim the lives of more than 44,000
People over the next 40 years with about 30% of the victims being under the age
of 12. That’s 13,200 children in the U.S. who will die from burns.
Rheumatoid arthritis is a common rheumatic disease, affecting more than two million people in the United States. The disease is three times more common in women as in men. The disease can begin at any age, but most often starts after age forty and before sixty. 2,000,000 people suffer from the disease in the U.S. on an annual basis.
In the U.S., more than 10 million people have osteoporosis. Many will suffer from
Broken bones and thus developing complications such as infection or pneumonia that
result in death.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive disorder of the central nervous system affecting more than 1.5 million people in the United States
Every year, approximately 10000 people in the United States survive an acute traumatic injury to the spinal cord. Over the course of 40 years this would come to
About 400,000 people living with injuries to the spinal cord.
THIS COMES TO A TOTAL OF 119,644,000 (ONE HUNDRED NINETEEN MILLION, SIX HUNDRED FORTY FOUR THOUSAND) UNNECESSARY AMERICAN DEATHS OVER THE NEXT 40 YEARS…………….
4,565,200 of these will be CHILDREN. Three years ago a bi-partisan group of 206 House members signed a letter asking President Bush to expand the amount of federal funding available for stem cell research. Former President Ronald Reagan’s wife, Nancy Reagan added her support. President Bush limited the amount of stem cell lines that could be developed to what amounted to a drop of water in an ocean. This effectively
tied the hands of Medical Researchers in the United States.
My question is would you be willing to sign and date a formal document supporting President Bush’s policy and decision on the issue of stem cell research that could then be entered into a international data bank that would also make yourself and/or any of your family members ineligible for any future treatments or cures that come from stem cell research?
Putting your ideology, causes and beliefs where your mouth is so to speak. The research is continuing to be developed in Canada and Europe, so it is just a matter of time until it becomes medical practice anyway. The only thing that pro-life supporters are blocking is the development of the research by American Doctors and Researchers. If by standing by your morals you would lose your families right to receive treatment in the future would you be willing? Under these terms do you still think that ignorance is bliss? The forms will be circulated throughout the country during census. Time to put up or shut up.
wd …You didn’t understand the question. Would you sing and date a formal legal document supporting Bush’s very limited policy on the issue of stem cell research and GIVE UP your own and your families right to benefit or be treated by any future cures found through stem cell research?
Son of (a) Bush……. Adult cells do not reproduce themselves in the lab in a quantity sufficient to cure most diseases. Also they are very limited to their application. Many embryotic cells are thrown away every day. Why throw away a cure for millions… unless pro-life isn’t about life.
TO JERRY: So you say that you know how many mini-skirts that Paris Hilton has? I doubt that. I believe you lie sir.
First off- You know nothing of who I got my FACTS from. For your information my sources included 3 of the top medical research people in the U.S. today.
Second, President Bush limits the number of lines to much LESS than 100, and you say he doesn’t limit PRIVATE funding. I didn’t realize that the U.S. Govt. controls free enterprise. When did this take effect? Under Bush? You seem to know a lot about nothing. YOU say the best research comes from not having governments overseeing them? REALLY…? Then how is it that the U.S. went from a theory to the creation of the atom bomb in less than 5 years? And I do believe that the people who work at NASA would disagree with you. Again you LIE sir.
to jerry (continued)
Third, you show your true agenda sir. Your “true colors” so to speak. You worry about paying more taxes and not human life. You try to talk a subject into the ground so that you can justify not paying for it. But if it works without you losing a dime, you want yourself and your family to benefit from it. You strike me as a semi-wealthy welfare recipient.
You avoided the question I asked. It was simple enough. You either believe or you don’t. Just prove it was all I was asking. You have presented nothing more than a rant from someone who wants a “free ride”. And YOU sir, and those like you degrade the American Public.
Thank you for proving “MY” point.
The pattern of male baldness or medically known as ” androgenetic alopecia ” is more possible due to factors of environmental conditions, daily diet, mental health, and even the shampoo used. Relating it solely as to inheriting it through gene will require lots of lab test. Even with a genetic lab test, the possibilities of inheriting androgenetic alopecia can be related to the mother’s side and/or father’s side, of their family.
Good Luck !
Child with JRA (Rheumatoid Arthritis)?
Wondering if anyone can provide me with some help/answers. I have a son who is almost 13 yrs. old who ha been diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis(JRA). He was DX when he was very young-probably about 10 yrs. ago when he used to cry in the morning because his knees would hurt and I could feel “heat” coming from his knees, back then it was just pain in the knees in the mornings and the heat-NO SWELLING. So, his Dr. recommended physical therapy which I used to take him to a few times a week, and I believe I used to also give him some type of RX,although I don’t recall which one it was. Anyhow, his condition improved within a year and it NEVER bothered him again, we moved out of state and switched Drs. and I always thought maybe he was misdiagnosed to begin with since there is no definitive test for JRA, and he never had any signs or problems for almost 10 years.
Until recently, since mid 2008 he sometimes complained of his right knee hurting him sometimes, especially in the AM. His last Dr. thought nothing of it, she said it was probably just “growing pains”, although I told her about the JRA when he was younger, she said she didn’t think it was that & unless it started to REALLY bother him, I wouldn’t worry about it.
Then, Sept2008 we moved back to NY and in October he started to complain of the pain in his right knee just about every morning,& sometimes at night and even during the day when he was performing physical activities or simple things like walking up/down stairs. I would give him ibuprofen which had no effect & then one day he says to me that he thinks one leg looks bigger than the other, so I look at his right knee & I couldn’t believe my eyes, his rigth knee was EXTREMELY SWOLLEN and puffy-TWICE the size of his left knee, and even the area above the knee (like the thigh area) looked bigger. I immediately got on the phone to call Drs., but I don’t have insurance for him right now and don’t have lots of extra money, although his health is very important so I tried to do all I could do. I got him an appt. the next day at a pediatrician who looked at the leg and I told him about his previous JRA & asked if that is what this was? Like I said before, when he was younger, his knees NEVER got swollen, only pain and heat in both knees in the morning but NEVER swollen. The pediatrician referred me to a pediatric rheumatologist but they told me they couldn’t give me an appt. for 3 months, I felt this was an emergency and couldn’t wait 3 months so I called around to every pediatric rheumatologist I could find & every one either could not give me an appt. that week or gave me the run around since I had no insurance. So, then I started calling regular rheumatologists and found a compassionate one who said I could come in right away. He examined my son & determined that he would need to see a pediatric rheumatologist since the course of treatment is different for children than for adults, he said if my son was 40 yrs. older he would have stuck a needle in his knee and drained the fluid out that was causing swelling, but this was not done to children so he made calls for me to get me an appt. with a pediatric specialist and got me an appt. a few days later (and told me to continue giving ibuprofen-WHICH NEVER HELPED).
So, we see the PR (pediatric rheumatologist) who first orders blood tests to rule out other things (ie: lyme disease & other possible causes). After waiting a week for the test reults, they all came back negative, even his “rheumatoid factor” was negative, but they say that there is no definitive test for JRA and it is diagnosed by a determination of factors and symptoms and not one test alone. Since he had been dx with it when he was younger, and he has a cousin who has it, this is what she determined it to be and she recommended an injection into his knee which was supposed to reduce swelling and relieve the pain, this was supposed to take full effect in about 3 days. During this time now (since October) the PR gave him a note excusing him from playing gym in school until January since he was now haviing bad pains EVERY DAY and the knee was severely swollen and large, he missed school a few times because the pain was so bad in the morning that he could not get up and get ready for school in the morning & in school it hurst him to walk up/down stairs & walk to and from classes.
She also told me to continue giving him ibuprofen (which still never helped). My son has also gained weight, almost 10 lbs. in the last 3 months because he is no longer active at all, he just sits in the house playing games because he no longer likes to play outside with friends (he used tobe very active playing football, riding his bike, etc, etc. etc.). His appt. t have the injection was in November (the earliest appt. they could give me) So, once he got the shot I thought he would be better. Well, he got the injection on a Friday, then on Saturday he said he said ne noticed a slight improv
slight improvement in his pain level. Sunday he said it was a little better, but on Monday he said he was having pain on the other side of his knee, he says the pain used to be mainly on one side (where he got the injection) but now it seems to have moved over to the other side, and the swelling never went down. My son says he feels “fluid” in his knee and it sometimes feels like it is going to burst.
We did not have an appt. to see the Dr. again until about a month after the injection (December), so it had been over two months since we first noticed the swelling, and in all this time, there was no improvement, if anything, it may be getting worse. Also, it is only the right knee, and he does not have any pain or swelling or anything in ANY of his other joints (as many children with JRA have MANY joints affected). I still wonder if it is even JRA, since so far the treatment has not worked and the swelling and pain have not subsided (where from what I read, most people with JR
slight improvement in his pain level. Sunday he said it was a little better, but on Monday he said he was having pain on the other side of his knee, he says the pain used to be mainly on one side (where he got the injection) but now it seems to have moved over to the other side, and the swelling never went down. My son says he feels “fluid” in his knee and it sometimes feels like it is going to burst.
We did not have an appt. to see the Dr. again until about a month after the injection (December), so it had been over two months since we first noticed the swelling, and in all this time, there was no improvement, if anything, it may be getting worse. Also, it is only the right knee, and he does not have any pain or swelling or anything in ANY of his other joints (as many children with JRA have MANY joints affected). I still wonder if it is even JRA, since so far the treatment has not worked and the swelling and pain have not subsided (where from what I read, most people with JR
have flare ups from time to time, but this has been continuous). I should also mention though that when it is a rainy day, his knee hurts EVEN MORE than usual (just as adults with arthritis), on days with bad weather, he has a really bad day.
So, we saw the Dr. for a follow up in December & I explained how he has not improved and he doesn’t want to go to school in the mornings and does not want to be active & isn’t there something else we can be doing to help him? She said he should not be missing any school because of this, that if anything, he should wake up earlier if he needs the extra time to get ready in the morning, and that he should not be sitting around all day, he should exercise and be active to help strengthen the leg (but the problem is that he cries and some mornings can’t even stand in the shower because he says the pain is so bad) and also says he gets embarassed when he is walking up/down the stairs in school and holding on the rail and walking slow because of h
I can’t believe this, I typed out such a lengthy question and it cut half of it out, and my question is all messed up, basically my son is now taking Mobic every day which has not been helping and is very expensive and my questions are to you:
-can anyone recommend anything else?
-does anyone know of any websites where I can learn free physical therapy exercises that I can do at home with my child?
-does anyone think this can be something other than JRA?
-anyone have a similar experience and any advice?
THANK YOU
To Brandy-you recommened a foot specialist, but I’m not sure if you misread, his problem is in his knee, not his ankle or foot, would the foot specialist have anything to do with helping in a problem of the knee? Also, what would a neurologist do? I thought that was for nerve disorders? I just don’t want to bring him to a bunch of Drs. who are not going to be useful since I have to pay out of pocket each time, and this prescription medicine is already costing me now over $300 a month, I want him to get help but don’t want to keep paying people who aren’t really helping, you know?
To Carol H-I am alwasy hesitant about these non FDA approved medicines (I have had no luck in trying various vitamins & supplements for my own ailments in the past), just wondering though-when you suffered with this ailment when you were younger-did the inflammation remain for MONTHS? That is what does not make it seem NORMAL to me and makes me wonder if he was misdiagnosed, I mean, his knee is EXTREMELY HUGE AND SWOLLEN for THREE MONTHS now even with the injection he received, the prescription meds (Mobic), the ibuprofen, etc. etc.-I do have his first PT appointment tomorrow but not sure I can even afford it now, would love to try a sample of that stuff online but dont’ even have a credit card number to give them for the shipping charges, so not sure how I will even do that?
Landlord will not fix Sinking Bathtub/Rotted Floor! Your Advice? Red Further?
First off, I know this sounds crazy, but its all true and like a bad dream! Ok, starting back at the beginning 4 months ago we told him about our toilet wheezing and I had to bump it to make it stop from running and it sprayed water from between floor and toilet. Well he fixes a small blue piece in back of toilet and leaves. about 1 hour later starts doing it all over again. He stated he would get a plumber over and we have yet to see a plumber. About a week/week and a half goes by then I noticed the front of our tub is sinking about 2 inches into the floor, so I get down on my knees remove the loose tile and look between wall and tub (there’s about 8 inches between) and theres a 6X6 hole in the floor around the pipe and I remove the next tile to find white cotton like mold and also notice near hole area the woodwork is black and looks to be black mold! Again I call him and tell hims about it. He comes looks at it a week later and tells me hes going to prop the tub up! (Mind you the floor is decaying and paper thin) and then says he will send a mold inspecter, again we have yet to see anyone. Needless to say another 3-4 weeks has went by so we sent him a certified note for a reminder. Its been about another month sense he signed for the letter and we hear nothing, instead we open our front door a few days ago to a letter that says this is tenants responsibility! And the letter also stated because of us not using the gas heat caused all this mess with the floor due to moisture. Well hello when this all begain it was still in the 60/70′s outside so why on gods green earth would we use the gas heat if its 60+ degress out? Anyways, there has been a whole in our laundry room for a year now that hes known of and our yard stays wet even when it was 60+ outside and no rain….Just last year he had to replace the floor in bathroom and hole infront of toilet and the decayed sink due to a leak we believe. He fixed no pipes last year and only the floor and replaced sink, the tub side of the floor was never replaced and still has the old floor. Anyways, we called the plumber ourselves and they said yes indeed theres a leak and it doesnt suprise them because all of these little houses our landlord owns floors are falling through and or have been replaced. Basically he does not want to fix this, and is trying to put this off on us. Does he have a right to?? Aint this his responsibility being the landlord and us being the tenants? Any advice will be much appreciated!
Also, We called Code Enforcement and they stood and told us there has to be a dark damp area in order to get mold, mind you the floor is rotted and has a hole arround the pipe and our bathtub is sinking for cris sakes! So obviously there is dampness! My wife has been coughing up yellow/green flim and I have as well for about 2 months now, we have both been having diarrhea and my wife’s scalp has abnormally bloches of dry scalp with red rash looking things that i’ve never scene before. My wife has a weak amune system as she has Rheumatoid Arthritis in most of her joints and is in a wheelchair and has been sense she was a young child. I don’t know who else to call to get this problem taken care of. I’ve been to the health department, the man told me he didn’t have the enforcement to do anything and gave me a number to call Code Enforcement which I did and was told by them they can not do anything, it is in HUD Inspectors hands. I don’t understand what the deal is with these people he stood and told me hiself that they supervise the HUD inspectors, so why wouldnt they be able to do anything about the situation?
Sorry about the long story. I just need to vent a little and don’t know what else I can do, I know this isn’t safe nor is it normal and Im running out of ideas of what to do? Your Advice??????
As I said…… Anyone who hasn’t been trained in this field doesn’t understand that there are MILLIONS of combinations in the genetic make-up of a human. Bush’s policy limits the lines that can be researched by scientists to some 70 odd lines. That is like Bush giving a baker a single grain of wheat and telling him that he expects him to bake 24 dozen loaves of bread with it. OR as stupid as giving one lone soldier a single bullet and telling him to go fight the war by himself. Bush does not have the power to limit PRIVATE funds regardless of what “JERRY” says.
He attacks HONOR for bringing the TRUTH to the public attention, and then reports me and has my answer removed because I noticed what he was doing.
HONOR I think what you are trying to say is that “SOME PEOPLE” talk a good talk, but they can’t walk the walk. One of the people who responded to your question seems like a semi-wealthy WELFARE recipient. He doesn’t want his tax dollars to pay for creating cures that will save so many lives, but he’s more than willing to benefit from any that are found. Just as long as it doesn’t cost him a precious dime of his money. His attitude is defeatist to America. He’s not about life… he’s about DEATH. AMERICAN deaths. He is a whining example of why the U.S. is in decline.
Question on familial baldness/genetics.?
Okay, here it goes. My mother and I are questioning if her dad was really her biological father or not. We do know that my maternal grandmother was a “player” throughout her two marriages, and had atleast one child out of wedlock (17 yrs after my mom), so there’s already a little suspicion.
Between my mother having rheumatoid arthritis (and no one else does) as well as me and my daughter are silent carriers (me with anemia, she without) of alpha thalasemmia- and we’re supposed to be of European (poland, germany, scotland, england) descent on ALL sides we’ve started to wonder. Here’s the part I am most interested in. My maternal grandfather had traditional male pattern baldness with onset at 24-27 years of age. My brother (he’s all mine unfortunately!) has a ton of hair with NO signs of recession (he’s 40yrs old). Is it possible (likelihood) for my brother to be the biological grandson (maternal) of a man with such an early onset of baldness? Thanks in advance for “real” answers!
Landlord will not fix sinking bathtub/rotted floor! Your advise? Read Further..?
First off, I know this sounds crazy, but its all true and like a bad dream! Ok, starting back at the beginning 4 months ago we told him about our toilet wheezing and I had to bump it to make it stop from running and it sprayed water from between floor and toilet. Well he fixes a small blue piece in back of toilet and leaves. about 1 hour later starts doing it all over again. He stated he would get a plumber over and we have yet to see a plumber. About a week/week and a half goes by then I noticed the front of our tub is sinking about 2 inches into the floor, so I get down on my knees remove the loose tile and look between wall and tub (there’s about 8 inches between) and theres a 6X6 hole in the floor around the pipe and I remove the next tile to find white cotton like mold and also notice near hole area the woodwork is black and looks to be black mold! Again I call him and tell hims about it. He comes looks at it a week later and tells me hes going to prop the tub up! (Mind you the floor is decaying and paper thin) and then says he will send a mold inspecter, again we have yet to see anyone. Needless to say another 3-4 weeks has went by so we sent him a certified note for a reminder. Its been about another month sense he signed for the letter and we hear nothing, instead we open our front door a few days ago to a letter that says this is tenants responsibility! And the letter also stated because of us not using the gas heat caused all this mess with the floor due to moisture. Well hello when this all begain it was still in the 60/70′s outside so why on gods green earth would we use the gas heat if its 60+ degress out? Anyways, there has been a whole in our laundry room for a year now that hes known of and our yard stays wet even when it was 60+ outside and no rain….Just last year he had to replace the floor in bathroom and hole infront of toilet and the decayed sink due to a leak we believe. He fixed no pipes last year and only the floor and replaced sink, the tub side of the floor was never replaced and still has the old floor. Anyways, we called the plumber ourselves and they said yes indeed theres a leak and it doesnt suprise them because all of these little houses our landlord owns floors are falling through and or have been replaced. Basically he does not want to fix this, and is trying to put this off on us. Does he have a right to?? Aint this his responsibility being the landlord and us being the tenants? Any advice will be much appreciated!
Also, We called Code Enforcement and they stood and told us there has to be a dark damp area in order to get mold, mind you the floor is rotted and has a hole arround the pipe and our bathtub is sinking for cris sakes! So obviously there is dampness! My wife has been coughing up yellow/green flim and I have as well for about 2 months now, we have both been having diarrhea and my wife’s scalp has abnormally bloches of dry scalp with red rash looking things that i’ve never scene before. My wife has a weak amune system as she has Rheumatoid Arthritis in most of her joints and is in a wheelchair and has been sense she was a young child. I don’t know who else to call to get this problem taken care of. I’ve been to the health department, the man told me he didn’t have the enforcement to do anything and gave me a number to call Code Enforcement which I did and was told by them they can not do anything, it is in HUD Inspectors hands. I don’t understand what the deal is with these people he stood and told me hiself that they supervise the HUD inspectors, so why wouldnt they be able to do anything about the situation?
Sorry about the long story. I just need to vent a little and don’t know what else I can do, I know this isn’t safe nor is it normal and Im running out of ideas of what to do? Your Advice??????
This is his responsibility. Mold doesn’t grow overnight and let’s say you did something, which you didn’t and it caused mold, it’s HIS responsibility to get rid of it. Your only option is to save your money and move.