Children’s weight gain during pandemic can bring health problems | Coronavirus

For more than a year, COVID-19 and its impact has touched the lives of everyone — including children. To cope, many have turned to food for comfort, and as a result, the pounds are piling on.

Sudden weight gain can be dangerous, especially for kids, according to a Temple pediatrician. Excess weight can lead to serious health problems down the road such as diabetes and heart disease.

Recent studies indicate that the average American has gained 2 pounds a month during the pandemic, and according to Dr. Jamie Avila, Baylor-Scott & White’s Division Director for Outpatient Pediatrics in Central Texas, some Central Texas children have gained much more.

“We’ve seen children who have gained more than 60 pounds in five months,” Avila said. “Some have become pre-diabetic in less than a year.”

Pre-diabetes is a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.

Economic pressures, parental job losses and limited access to government-funded meals have contributed to change in routines, creating this recipe for disaster.

Avila said the weight-gain crisis is multifaceted.

“I think it’s a combination of things,” she said. “Children have been out of their structured environment since spring break 2020. And with a lack of food in grocery stores, families have been eating less healthy shelf-stable meals. There’s also been a lack of physical activities.”

Pediatricians have seen increased body mass indexes in young patients because of several factors, including disrupted or altered sleep schedules, changes in nutritional levels of foods, a lack of structured meal times and a decrease in physical activity.

Physicians such as Avila worry that sudden weight gain in children may lead to an increase in full-blown diabetes among kids. Weight issues and lack of exercise must be addressed by families, she said.

“Kids are impressionable,” Avila said. “We don’t want to focus on weight loss. Instead, we need to rebuild healthy, structured lives.”

She encourages parents to be positive role models for their children to mimic by eating nutritious foods during meal times and eliminating late-night snacking.

“Don’t keep unhealthy foods in the house,” she said.

High-carb foods such as cookies and chips give a short energy burst that leads to staying up later and gaining unhealthy weight.

Public health officials encourage a “we’re in this together” mantra for the family. Consider telling your kids, “let’s come up with a healthy routine as a family.”

Get kids involved with meal and snack preparation. Some families find it helpful to discuss meals for the week so family members know what to expect and can help prepare the meals they enjoy most. Meal preparation can be a great way to spend quality time with kids. You can discuss the food you are preparing, how to make the meal healthier or other topics you or your child want to address. Encourage children to eat a fruit or vegetable at every meal.

Being active certainly helps combat weight-gain, and Avila recommends family-oriented activities.

“It’s important to give kids an option on how to be active,” she said. “Interactive video games such as Just Dance are a fun way to move. So are bike rides, walks and a day at the park.”

Here are some tips for keeping children active:

n Enjoy the great outdoors. Schedule a time each day for an outdoor activity with your children. Hike a local nature trail or ride a bicycle path.

n Schedule family playtime. Take a walk or play a family game of tag after dinner each night. Choose activities that require movement, such as bowling, catch or miniature golf.

n Limit screen time. Experts warn that one to two hours of screen time a day should be the limit for children, but some are logging more than double that amount.

n Plant a garden. Caring for plants gives your children a reason to get outside each day. Learning how to grow a garden teaches the food system, while sampling the harvest encourages healthy eating habits.

n Chip in with chores. Rake leaves, shovel snow and do other home-maintenance projects as a family.