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National Childhood Obesity Week

With childhood obesity presenting a significant threat to child health, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is recognizing National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month during the month of September.

Early recognition and treatment of obesity has advantages. As we know in the PWS community, it is a daily struggle for most of our families. The AAP has proposed a few strategies to help families cope with and manage their child’s appetite and weight through a strength-based approach.

“At the core, this approach gives parents and children the ability to continue their development by encouraging a family’s growth and competency building across time. This approach acknowledges that parents are experts on their family and want to do right by their child. The clinician takes an active role in building parents’ knowledge and encouraging mastery while providing good ideas on how to integrate new opportunities for competency into a family’s daily life. In addition, the strength based approach encourages and is complementary to shared decision-making where clinicians and families can problem solve with the clinician to become
more efficacious in their health decision-making.” (AAP, 2020)

By focusing on the strengths of the family and not weaknesses, parents are empowered to make healthy decisions for their families. It is up to the medical provider to provide parents and children with the best tools and information to maintain the healthy lifestyle they are hoping to achieve.

Great tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics on ways to prevent childhood obesity and maintain a healthy lifestyle:

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/Pages/Healthy-Active-Livingfor-Families.aspx

For some kid friendly and delicious healthy recipes:

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/nutrition/chop-chopmagazine/Pages/Recipe-Baked-Honey-Mustard-Chicken-Fingers.aspx

Contributed by Mary Burr, DNP, CPNP

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