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Carrying the Weight
Helping Your Overweight Child
By Carma Haley Shoemaker
Unfortunately, there are occasions in which changing diet and adding an exercise program does not offer parents or the overweight children the results they would hope for. In some cases, children may develop an eating disorder and will require the assistance of an eating disorders specialist or require therapy to help them adapt a healthy lifestyle. "My daughter is 11 years old and is about 30 to 35 pounds overweight," says Crystal Cook, a writer from Knoxville, Tenn. "She has been to the doctor and we have recently come to the conclusion that she is a compulsive overeater. She gets food and gorges when nobody is around, like in the middle of the night. She seems to need to have food in her mouth all the time. I've always struggled with obsessive/compulsive problems and I believe my daughter's problem is inherited from me. This is such a touchy time for girls, I hate for her to have extra problems to deal with."
Parents can help their children lose weight by helping them change the lifestyle in which they take part. Whether due to inactivity, overeating or an eating disorder, help is available to assist children in losing weight and regaining control over their bodies. "Obesity in children is a major health issue," Dr. Wright says. "It is best addressed via comprehensive lifestyle changes. There are no quick, easy ways to loose weight. However, it is possible for families to make and enjoy, these changes – together."