MAFP Obesity Project

Primary care physicians have the unique opportunity to help modify adult behavior so they can become a proper role model in their children’s formative years.

Eating patterns and behaviors are set before the child is five-six years old. These patterns are then reinforced by societal demands. Fast paced lifestyles often lead toward foods that are quick to prepare or obtain. Convenient foods that do not spoil have longer shelf lives and tend to be heavily processed – full of inflammatory substances that contribute to asthma, IBS and atrophy. Processed foods also tend to be high in calories, low in nutritional density and full of long chain fatty acids and simple carbohydrates. In addition, schools are constantly modifying lunch programs to meet State standards balanced against those of children.

How do we as primary care physicians guide our patients (parents and children) to the roads of healthy choices with this myriad of complex, confusing, information overloaded society?

Stick with the basics! Patients respond well to simply addressing the issue of diet and exercise. First, as we are overwhelmed with the different fads, they too are yearning for good evidence based guidance.

Obtaining a child’s height and weight to evaluate their body mass index (BMI) as a risk assessment tool is just as important as obtaining other vital signs, immunization status, etc. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers a growth chart that has the BMI listed to help identify those children with potential health risks secondary to obesity. Who is at risk according to the CDC? Any child with a BMI above 86% is at risk for significant health problems such as diabetes and hyperlipidemia as well as psychosocial issues that are attached to being overweight.

The CDC has BMI and waist circumference as screening tools to help clinicians identify at risk children so intervention can be implemented at an age where change is most likely to be accepted.

For more information, go to:
American Heart Association
and
CDC Body Mass Index