There is a new study out from the University of Alberta that shows that kids can be heavier but still be metabolically healthy. When we look at health in kids there are many different measurements that we can do to grade their health.
In the study done by the University of Alberta the reasearchers actually found that of the 181 kids between 8 and 17 that according to the scale where obese that one third of them were actually metabolically healthy, that is they were not imminently at risk of developing insulin resistance. When someone is at risk of developing insulin resistance they are therefore at risk of getting diabetes.
Statements from University of Alberta Obesity Study
“It’s not all about fat, even for kids who meet the definition of obesity,” stated Geoff Ball, senior author and professor of pediatrics in the U of A’s Faculty of Medicine Dentistry, and clinical director of Stollery Children’s Hospital’s Pediatric Centre for Weight and Health, and the author of the study. “Lifestyle behaviors — how physically active they are and what they eat — those things have an effect on their health, independent of fatness.”
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Ball said the findings should help physicians and other health professionals understand the complexity of obesity for treating patients and prioritizing referral to specialized weight-management care. Roughly two million young, obese Canadians meet eligibility criteria for such treatment—far more than the two dozen or so clinics across the country can accommodate, he added
Lets not look at this as a way of accepting obesity in our kids but instead look at the fact that sometimes otherwise healthy kids can be overweight. It is better to look at a range of habits and inclinations of our kids. How much exercise a week? What kind of breakfast and snacks do the kids eat? How much screen time, and is it affecting the opportunity for exercise?
I know that I fight with these issues all the time. As a dad of two kids I like to make sure the kids get lots of exercise but also my wife and I try to watch their eating. My 12 year old daughter is no problem but my son wants candy and popcorn all the time, to the point that he is willing to eat popcorn without butter or salt (which is good for him anyway).
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