Causes of Childhood Obesity

7 Surprising Reasons Your Child Is Gaining Weight

You’re not alone if your kid struggles to slim down. Find out what’s behind the extra pounds—and what you can do about it
By Emily G. W. Chau fitbie
 

They’re Overachievers

No one can blame you for trying to give your kids a leg up, but when they’re too busy running from Cub Scouts to trumpet lessons to sit down for a meal, they may be piling their plates with more than just extracurricular activities. A University of Minnesota study found that children who sat down to dinner as a family were less likely to be obese, ate more nutritious meals, and had a lower risk of drug use, so it’s just as important to clear their evening schedules as yours.

Extra schoolwork could increase your kid’s weight, too. It’s not unheard of for high school students to skip lunch in order to squeeze in an extra AP class, and missing meals can cause you to overeat later in the day. While some schools are trying to make lunch mandatory, they are fighting those parents and children who claim that taking time out of a school day to eat will make the student less competitive for college. If your kid has to forgo lunch period, put together a healthy brown-bag lunch like this one suggested by Garcia: turkey and Swiss cheese in a whole grain wrap, a handful of grapes, and low-fat milk.

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