I'm not Dr. Oz, but I am a pediatrician and you are right to be concerned for your grandchildren. Having a morbidly obese mother is a huge risk for obesity for kids. Your daughter may want to consider some drastic action, but I can't make any specific recommendations for her.

For the grandkids, I often start by looking at what a kid drinks. Sugary drinks are a huge source of empty calories, and they go down so easy! As a starting point, I would recommend moving from juice or (horrors!) sodapop to water and milk. At the same time, what sorts of things can you do with your grandkids to get them moving? Can you take them to the zoo? (Plan ahead what you're going to offer instead of the junk food for sale there, although popcorn isn't such a bad thing if you have to get something.)

You can order a free DVD here: http://www.ahrq.gov/child/dvdobesity.htm which has more advice. The important thing is to keep it as fun as possible. Other than limiting sugary drinks, I like to emphasize increasing good things in the diet, like fruits and vegetables. When veggies come with lots of adult attention (picking them out at the market, preparing them with help, eating them together) they often are more appealing.

Kids are naturally active, but at those weights your grandkids are already feeling the pull of the couch pretty hard. Don't think about them losing weight, just think about getting them to be more active and eating more good foods. As they move weight from fat to muscle and as they grow taller they will be more and more able to keep up with the other kids in active play. That's your goal.

Good luck. This is going to require persistence and determination but you definitely have the motivation!
Source(s):
I'm a pediatrician with a Master's Degree in Nutritional Sciences.


Permalink | Report