Word: problems
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That may be precisely the problem. Today roughly 17% of American kids and teens are obese, and parents cite obesity as a top concern for their children's health. Yet with so many other overweight kids in the class, it appears that parents can't recognize - or admit it to themselves - when their child is too heavy. When they do realize it, like Becky Cohn, parents often are upset or don't know how to implement pediatricians' vague orders about exercise and diet - much the way overweight adults are flummoxed by the same recommendations. (Read "Making Good Health Easy...
Adding to the quandary, doctors may be reluctant to raise the issue in the first place. Checkups are typically too brief to allow a doctor to broach the topic tactfully and work out a detailed, practical weight-loss plan. Some doctors fear they will worsen the problem by embarrassing the child and instilling shame instead of empowering him or her to get healthy. And doctors worry about turning off Mom and Dad as well. "Every parent feels guilty that their child has a weight problem," says David Ludwig, the director of the Optimal Weight for Life Program at Children...
...that childhood obesity cannot be solved in a single doctor's visit. Ludwig sometimes spends several sessions with a patient at his Boston clinic before coming up with a concrete plan - and persuading the child to cooperate. "Many children come in at first unwilling to talk about the problem. They feel so embarrassed," Ludwig says. But when change comes, it can make a huge difference. "With just the smallest tangible results, a sense of empowerment can grow," Ludwig says. "The child may go from denying a problem exists and fighting their parents' efforts tooth and nail to joining...
...kids like Molly try out new sports and activities and learn about calories, how to read food labels and, of course, the importance of eating three balanced, portion-controlled meals a day. Cohn came along as staff, the "Camp Mom." "There's nothing easy about it, confronting [a weight problem], getting over the stigma of being here," she says. But after five weeks of the camp's regimen - approved by doctors - Molly has lost almost 15 lb. The girl smiles. "I think when I get home," Molly says, "I'll eat in moderation...
...than we would have expected," says Richard Tremblay, a psychology professor at the University of Montreal and a co-author of the study, which was published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. "By having them live together, they form relationships. It's more likely to increase the problem...