Top 3 Questions that I Get Asked by Parents as a Pediatric Obesity Specialist

Learning how to effectively support your child’s health can feel overwhelming, and as a parent, you’re likely to have questions. As a Pediatric Obesity Specialist, I understand childhood obesity and the difficulties families can face. I see it with my patients every day. My team and I work closely with children by creating personalized treatment plans while also working with families to live healthier lifestyles to achieve optimal health. In my experience, these are the three most common questions parents have when they enter my office.

How much weight does my child need to lose to be healthy?

Even just 3-5% weight loss can help your child to have a better quality of life and begin to improve their health. In younger children who are still growing taller, sometimes weight loss is not even needed. In this case, 3-5% BMI reduction is the goal. My goal for my patients is usually 3-5% weight loss in 3-6 months.

For my patients with more severe obesity or serious comorbidities such as obstructive sleep apnea or Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, I aim for 5-10% weight loss. However, BMI stabilization and maintenance is still progress.

What do I do if my child refuses to be physically active and is sneaking food?

Helping your child make healthy lifestyle changes can help them reach and stay at a healthy weight.

I recommend that parents offer positive praise for healthy behaviors and ignore unhealthy behaviors as much as possible. “Roll with the resistance” rather than argue with them or force them to change.

If the resistance is ongoing, consider underlying depression or anxiety and seek help from your primary care provider. Oftentimes, poor mental health is a major barrier to improvement in physical health.

Will my child/adolescent have to take anti-obesity medication for life?

Not necessarily. I often tell my patients that there is a strong possibility that they might need to take anti-obesity medication for life. This is especially true if their weight gain began before the age of 5 as this often means that there is a more genetic or hereditary predisposition to their obesity.

However, medications are meant to be an adjunct to nutrition and lifestyle behavior change – so the more that they work on adopting healthier habits, the more likely that they will be able to decrease or stop their medication. Also, there is a lot of research right now on newer medications for adolescents, and some are oral rather than injectable. This means that the medication that they are started on might not be the medication that they will take long term.

Choosing the best treatment plan for your child can be overwhelming, but there are many options available. It’s important to have open communication with your pediatrician to explore treatments and choose the best option for your child and family. It’s normal to face challenges and it’s ok to ask questions or seek support.