Dr. Bruce Maley practices at the Children’s Clinic with Dr. Theresa Smith, Dr. Amy Self, Dr. David Self and Dr. Todd Blake. The clinic is at 264 Coatsland Drive. For an appointment, call 731-423-1500.
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Simple recommendations to help your child lose weight
When working with children who have weight problems, Dr. Bruce Maley offers the following recommendations…
• Don’t try to lose weight rapidly; you’re guaranteed to have a relapse and failure. Instead, lose two to three pounds a month until you’ve reached your desired weight.
• Cut out soft drinks except for special occasions. Limit juices to six ounces a day. “It’s just sugar with vitamins in it.”
• Instead of juices and soft drinks, Dr. Maley would like skim or 1 percent milk and water to be a child’s source of liquids. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that a child have three cups of milk a day because of the vitamin D and the source of calcium that helps to build strong bones and prevent osteoporosis later in life.
• Eliminate fried foods, potato chips and similar foods. Substitute pretzels or fruit.
• Look at everything you eat and ask: Can I cut any calories? For example, eliminate one piece of bread with a sandwich by having an open-face sandwich or a wrap.
• Learn to do without rolls and biscuits. Never have more than two pieces of bread a day.
• Instead of eliminating a favorite food that has extra calories, cut down on quantities. For example, eat one good piece of dark chocolate a day instead of that afternoon candy bar.
• Bake and broil instead of fry. If you have to add lard or bacon to a recipe, do so in small amounts.
• Exercise regularly. Get your child in a sport that moves, such as soccer, basketball or tennis.
• If your neighborhood is safe, encourage your child to ride a bike. If it is not, look for other options, such as walking together or letting the child use a treadmill or having him join the local boys and girls club. Children should also wear a helmet when riding a bike.
• If parents also have weight problem, they can lose weight themselves by walking together, riding bikes together or simply exercising more with their children.
Long-term problems from obesity begin early
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| Dr. Bruce Maley holds a healthy William Jackson “Jack” Robinson, who was in the clinic for a checkup. |
The fact is, despite all the advice on healthy eating and the need to exercise, child obesity is still a problem. Dr. Bruce Maley, a pediatrician who has been practicing medicine in Jackson for 30 years at the Children’s Clinic, has been treating overweight children for years.
What is relatively new about the problem is data that the long-term effects of obesity, such as heart disease or the development of diabetes, is showing up at earlier ages.
“We are finding that plaque in the arteries is developing in children as young as three and four years old and not waiting until they reach 30 or 40 years old,” says Dr. Maley.
“Overweight children are setting themselves up to have a heart attack 10 to 20 years earlier than we once thought. They also are dramatically increasing their risk of type 2 diabetes and even type 1 diabetes.”
A lot of the problem of childhood obesity is genetically determined, he says. “It’s not just a matter of willpower.” For most people, for example, the stomach secretes a chemical that inhibits appetite, it tells us when we’re full. Some people don’t have that.
That’s one reason why overweight parents tend to have overweight children, he says. Another reason is eating patterns. People who are overweight because they eat too much sugar or fried foods feed the same to their children.
“A lot of these heavy parents want their children to eat like they do. We want our kids to be like us.”
Dr. Maley sees the problem of obesity starting when some children are still infants. “If I see an obese breast-fed baby, I don’t worry as much as when I see an obese bottle-fed baby,” he says. “In my experience, breast-fed babies tend to slim down, while bottle-fed babies are more likely to stay obese.”
The problem of unhealthy eating continues. Giving children baby food desserts or too much juice is giving them empty calories and developing an early desire for sweets, he says. If he had anything to say about it, Dr. Maley would simply take baby desserts off the market.
Though he has seen obese babies, the problem tends to emerge more often when a child is three, four or five years old, Dr. Maley says. Left unchecked, the problem worsens as the child’s body mass increases.
“For whatever reason, their bodies are holding on to calories in an excessive fashion. It may not be fair, but these kids have to eat less and exercise more.”
Besides the health affects, being overweight also can make it harder for a child to play sports, lead to poor self image, lead to eating disorders and develop social problems with a child’s peers, he adds.
Solving the problem is not just what happens at the family’s dinner table. Funding cuts in some schools has affected physical education. Dr. Maley would not only like to see more physical education in schools, he would like it to be more active. Other positive steps are healthier school lunches and taking out the soft drink machines in the school cafeterias.
Dr. Maley recommends that every child get a checkup at the doctor’s office every one to two years. It’s a good time for parents to see where their child’s size and weight appear on the growth chart and to have the child’s blood pressure checked.
“We also will monitor cholesterol levels and triglycerides not just in obese kids, but also in kids with a family history of early onset of heart disease, elevated cholesterol and other problems,” Dr. Maley says.
“In practice, he adds, “losing weight is one of the most difficult things we ask our patients to do.” He encourages his patients to keep a positive attitude and to not give up. The only way to lose weight, he says, is to burn more calories than we take in. Simply put, “children need to learn healthy eating habits and exercise more.”