HHS HealthBeat
(Last revised: August 12, 2009)
Preschoolers’ Weight

Audio Cast: Listen to Tip [Streaming Audio, 00:59:04]

[Transcript]

Ira Dreyfuss: Preschoolers Weight from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat. Here’s a worrisome statistic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 1 in 7 children ages 2 to 4 years is obese. Little ones who are obese are more likely to develop diabetes and asthma, as well as cholesterol problems and high blood pressure when they get older. The CDC’s Larry Grummer-Strawn:

Larry Grummer-Strawn: Many of these are concerns that particularly affect older children and adults, but the conditions actually start in childhood. It increases their risk as young children, but certainly sets them on a course for having these problems later on in life.

Ira Dreyfuss: Grummer-Strawn says parents can reduce the risks of obesity by breastfeeding, avoiding sugary drinks and high-calorie snacks, encouraging lots of fruits and vegetables, and keeping the kids active. HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss. The study is in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Learn more at HHS.gov.

See also:
     Tips for Parents – Ideas to Help Children Maintain a Healthy Weight