Published online August 1, 2008
PEDIATRICS Vol. 122 No. 2 August 2008, pp. 476-477 (doi:10.1542/peds.2008-1605)
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LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Overweight and Obesity in Childhood: In Reply

Jennifer J. Bowdoin, MS
School of Public Health and Health Sciences,
University of Massachusetts Amherst,
Amherst, MA 01003

Although the use of a substance-abuse model to treat overeating could prove beneficial, it would pose some challenges in that, unlike drugs and alcohol, food is necessary for life, is often readily accessible in most children's immediate environments, and is not a substance from which children can simply abstain. The recognition of the emotional aspects of food consumption, however, should not be disregarded in any effort to prevent or treat childhood obesity. Child and adolescent struggles with food, eating, and body image are well documented in the medical literature. With the increased attention on obesity and weight management, it is imperative that parents, practitioners, and others who engage with children and adolescents be cognizant of the tenuous relationship that many children and adolescents have with food. Creating or perpetuating an environment in which food and fatness are perceived as bad will not promote the physical and emotional well-being of children and adolescents and could serve to increase risk for eating disorders.1–3

REFERENCES

  1. Fernández-Aranda F, Krug I, Granero R, et al. Individual and family eating patterns during childhood and early adolescence: an analysis of associated eating disorder factors. Appetite. 2007;49 (2):476 –485[CrossRef][ISI][Medline]
  2. Fitzgibbon ML, Stolley M. Promoting health in an unhealthful environment: lifestyle challenges for children and adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. 2006;106 (4):518 –522[CrossRef][ISI][Medline]
  3. Polivy J, Herman CP. Causes of eating disorders. Annu Rev Psychol. 2002;53 :187 –213[CrossRef][ISI][Medline]
PEDIATRICS (ISSN 1098-4275). ©2008 by the American Academy of Pediatrics




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