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Tipping the Scaleby Kimberlee Barbour 
Animated characters are the stars in a video game developed by BCM researchers to teach children how to make better food choices. Ending the childhood obesity epidemic is no exception to the rule that the first step in solving a problem is to admit that there is one. But what about the second step? Dr. William Klish, professor of pediatrics at BCM, said throwing out the spill-proof sippy cup that toddlers seem to be attached to is a must. "Toddlers seem to carry around a full glass of sweetened juice and a bag of finger foods all day long," Klish said. "Getting back to planned mealtimes instead of the all-day grazing that seems to be so commonplace would tremendously cut back unnecessary calories." Of course, monitoring school lunches, building more playgrounds and playing fewer video games are on the list, but changing society's skewed perception of what is a 'normal-weight' child is also important, said Klish. The Centers for Disease Control website offers a helpful tool at www.cdc.gov that helps parents understand what an average weight child should look like. More often than not, the overweight model is selected as having a 'normal' weight, and the 'normal' weight child is chosen as the underweight model. Klish said physicians have an obligation to help prevent the spread of this epidemic, but they also have an ethical obligation to provide treatment to patients who have severe, life-threatening illnesses from being obese, including adolescents. This may mean bariatric surgery for some. Baylor physicians at The Texas Children's Hospital Program for Comprehensive Surgical Management of Adolescent Obesity are devoted to adolescents and their special needs. Bariatric surgery for children is not yet a common-place solution for morbidly obese adolescents and is still performed as part of research studies only. "In some cases all illnesses from being obese have disappeared. The exception to this is hypertension. It is the one related condition that sometimes becomes permanent," said Klish. "But we really look at the risk-versus-benefit ratio in each case, especially how the surgery affects patients emotionally." The most immediate effect of being overweight is psychological. Before surgery, one out of 10 overweight adolescents is clinically depressed, and the majority have low self esteem and are low achievers. The team works hard to correct depression prior to surgery, but adolescents suffer from a completely different set of anxieties after surgery, many of which they have never dealt with, including difficulty inter-acting with peers, getting new attention from the opposite sex, and being uncomfortable with their new appearance. Eligibility into the adolescent bariatric program is rigorous and requires a lifetime commitment to keeping a healthy weight. The program offers patient services in pediatric surgery, psychology, gastroenterology, pulmonary, cardiology, endocrine, nutrition, gynecology and anesthesia. Obesity has nothing to do with cosmetics, but it has everything to do with related illnesses. "Because of these illnesses, more than 47,000 children in Houston will develop Type 2 diabetes, and 18,000 will develop end-stage liver disease, with an estimated 20 percent needing a liver transplant," Klish said. "We cannot let this move into adulthood." Videos and VegetablesWhat is one of the best ways to teach kids about nutrition? Sit them in front of a video game. Dr. Tom Baranowski, professor of pediatrics-nutrition at BCM, is one of the few doctors encouraging kids to play video games during this obesity epidemic. The hook is that Baranowski has developed games that teach kids how to make better food decisions for themselves to become healthier. "Squire's Quest" helps kids set goals to eat at least one more serving of a vegetable at a meal or aim to consume the recommended daily allowance of fruit per day. "Escape from Diab" targets 10- to12-year-olds and hopes to help prevent obesity and diabetes through facilitating better eating habits and exercise. Research has shown that these multimedia games may be a tool to change dietary behavior. Obesity OnlineDr. Debbie Thompson, assistant professor of pediatrics-nutrition at BCM and the Children's Nutrition Research Center, has studied the possible benefits of teaching kids through an internet-based program. The program, called Food, Fun and Fitness, uses animation and a number of different characters to teach kids about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables, performing different types of exercise, and increasing their water consumption. Thompson hopes to establish behaviors at a young age with an outlet kids enjoy. |
Patient CareHealthy Living for a Thousand, Alex ResearchFighting Obesity one Molecule at a Time Doctors are from Jupiter, Patients are from Saturn EducationA Lot's Changed in 40 Years... Sort Of Community ServiceAlumni & DevelopmentBuilding BCM and Biochemistry History Following Father's Bedside Manner More than a Street Sign: Advocates for Medicine College NewsAn Artist in the Medical Arena
Educating the Next Generation of Leaders
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Volume 2, Issue 3, Fall 2006 |
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| Last modified: December 21, 2006 |