Australia, like the USA has an ever increasing number of overweight children and that old saying that tubby kids mean tubby adults and fat oldies is true.
In the States they are now suggesting that if your toddlers are overweight, that they should have their bad and good cholesterol measured. If, once they are 8 or older, the LDL or bad cholesterol is up, they should be considered for a course of cholesterol lowering medicine called Statins.
The truth is that nasty changes start happening in the arteries from the earliest days so there is some sense in this, even though the long term safety (over a lifetime) has not been measured with Statins and if you are female and in the reproductive stage of life, they may have an unhappy effect of the growing foetus.
What happens now in Australia is that if there is a strong family history of cardiovascular disease, like heart attack or stroke, your doctor will be especially alert if you turn up to the clinic. If you family history is bad; say your Dad or Mum died early of or simply had , a heart attack, if your diet is poor and that has spread to your children and they are overweight, your doctor should be alert to these risk factors and provide a strong recommendation about reducing the weight and improving the diet.
Your family history is so important and that’s why I always suggest you stick to the same practice you have been at before so that the history is there for all to see.
Things which we all know too well but which are hard to change include cutting heart-unhealthy saturated fat out of the diet, enjoying health fresh veggies and fruit, eating grains both at breakfast and as bread with the seeds on it as well as in it, enjoying lean red meat and fish 2 to 3 times a week.
Oh and don’t let me forget exercise.
We haven’t got to the American stage yet but we do need more research to see if the US approach is the way to go!
Source: Editorial MJA Vol 190 Number 3 , 2nd February 2009
Baylor College of Medicine in the US has BMI calculators for Children which also provides extra detail regarding energy needs.
Tips for Keeping Our Kids Healthy
Bed wetting or Primary Nocturnal Enuresis
What’s it all about?
Bed wetting or Primary Nocturnal Enuresis (PNE) is a common problem, affecting up to 20% of children at five years of age and up to 10% of children at ten years of age.
Bedwetting is a really distressing experience for both for your child and for the family:
The child is at increased risk of suffering low self-esteem, of becoming withdrawn; having strong feelings of shame and failure; be embarrassed; can affect performance at school.
Bedwetting can have a significant negative impact on the child’s emotional and social development.
There is an increased financial burden to family – purchasing nappies; mattress covers; bedclothes.
There is increased distress to family members – disrupted sleep; continuous washing of clothes and bedclothes.
The problem is often not thought of by either parents or doctors as something requiring timely, active management. The general feeling is that it “will eventually go away” so they put off action.
Whooping Cough is a bacterial infection that can strike people of all ages but it is babies and the elderly who are most at risk. Dr John speaks with Dr Lyn Weeks the CEO of the National Prescribing Service about the need for immunisation against this dangerous condition.
Surprisingly it seems that teenagers need to consider a booster as levels of immunity appear to decline over time and levels of Whooping Cough in people over the age of 15 is on the rise.
Listen to Dr John and Lyn Weeks discuss the treatment and prevention of Whooping Cough ...
Dr John suggests you access the National Prescribing Service for the latest health report on Whooping Cough.
