The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, August 25, 1994, Page 19, Image 19
grades imp
he will say, "They will outgrow
it," said Suskind.
Dr. William Dietz, a pediatrician
and obesity specialist at the Tufts
University School of Medicine in
Boston, agreed. ""It's a recognized
problem that is not being attended to as
it should be," he said.
A key feature of Suskind's program
is a very restricted diet of 600 to
800 calories per day for up to 30 weeks,
followed by a 1200-calorie diet
for the rest of the yearlong program.
Another key feature is a graduated
exercise program, carefully designed
not to overwhelm children with too
miifVt nrtivitvtrtn flnrm a a l r} \zfolinrJa CS
Social life,
Experts say staying fit
helps keep a good attitude
and a better social life.
TORONTO (AP) ? A strict diet
combined with exercise and behavior
changes slashed the pounds from overweight
children and teens, improving
their social lives, grades and self-esteem,
researchers reported Wednesday.
The weight-loss program also lowered
the children's cholesterol levels
and reduced the likelihood they would
suffer from complications of obesity
as adults, the researchers said.
The program addresses one of the
most important and most widely
overlooked health problems in children,
said Dr. Robert Suskind, a
pediatrician at Louisiana State University
and co-director of the Weight
Reduction Clinic at the Children's Hospital
of New Orleans.
Surveys show that at least onefourth
of U.S. children are 20 percent
or more above their ideal weights,
Suskind said. And 70 percent of children
who are overweight at ages 10-13 will
go on to become overweight adults, he
said.
Even so, many pediatricians ignore
the problem, Suskind said.
"Children will go the pediatrician and
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the director of the clinic's
childhood weight-loss program.
"People give too much exercise too
soon and they give the wrong kind
of exercise," she said. "When you tell an
overweight person to do
something that hurts them, they won't
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The program also includes encouraging
many behavior changes, such
as
eating more slowly and not eating between
meals, Sothern said.
Education and parental support
are also crucial in helping children
lose weight, she said.
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In a report at the Seventh International
Congress on Obesity, Suskind
described the results with 48 children
ages 7-17. In 10 weeks, their weight
dropped from an average of 175 pounds
to 154 pounds.
At the end of the year-long program,
their weight was an average of
159
pounds, showing that they were able to
keep the weight off, he said.
Some of the mildlv obese attained
ideal body weights, and virtually all
of the moderately and severely obese
patients showed dramatic drops in
weight gain if they stuck with the program,
Suskind reported.
The children's cholesterol levels fell
from 187 to 167 in 10 weeks, he
said.
Dietz and others raised questions
about the safety of the restricted
diet. "I don't think we know enough
about the safety of that diet before
we put it into widespread use. I use it,
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severe obesity," Dietz said
Suskind said that the children on
the diet had growth rates slightly
below normal, but he said he believes
the diet is safe when used with a
doctor's supervision.
Sothern emphasized that parents
should not put their children on such a
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diet without a doctor's oversight, because
the diet requires careful
supplementation with minerals and vitamins.
After one year, the children are
seen every three months to help them
maintain fha waiaVit lnss said Snthern
T. Kristian von Almen, a psychologist
who works with Suskind, found
that overweight kids were low in selfesteem,
as measured by standard
psychological tests. But when they lost
weight, their self-esteem soared to
above normal.
The same was true of their academic
performance. Feelings of depression
also fell, von Almen found. And the
children said they thought their
parents felt better about them.
"Kids who are obese do have a
negative self-image," he said. "When
they lose the weight, that changes. They
fell better about themselves.
Their parents say they're different kids."
The program costs $1,000 for one
year's treatment, Suskind said.
Parents, aunts, uncles and other relatives
are encouraged to participate
along with their children. |
Some insurance companies cover f
a portion of the expenses, Sothern said. _
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