Pediatric Obesity Rates in North Carolina are Not Adding Up

According to the State of Childhood Obesity, pediatric obesity rates have declined in North Carolina. However, what is being reported state-wide doesn’t correlate with what many pediatric providers are seeing in their offices. 

At Rainbow Pediatrics, we see patients every day who are morbidly obese. Often, when we look back on their medical history, the obesity problem began when these children were toddlers.

This startling realization has propelled Dr. Sanniya Nanda to develop a nutritional “Strong Kids Clinic” at her office at Rainbow Pediatrics in Fayetteville. The goal of the clinic is to help families begin implementing the behavioral changes needed to overcome obesity. But the key is for families to begin sooner rather than later.

Once a child is older, it is much harder for them to make lifestyle changes.

Nutritional clinics aren’t just for children who are obese, although those are the people most urgently in need of assistance. Dr. Nanda believes in the significance of addressing any parental concerns surrounding food, diet, and exercise at any point in a child’s life. She has discovered that helping parents understand things such as portion sizes and the number of servings of fruits and vegetables a child should get every day will help them teach their kids the correct way to eat for health. 

The clinics Dr. Nanda provides include a variety of content to help families succeed. The lessons are customized to the unique needs of the family. Topics may include:

• The importance of eating meals as a family
• The connection between the media and obesity
• Serving sizes and calories needed per age and for each food group
• Sugar-sweetened beverages, including fruit juice
• How to grocery shop to fuel a healthy body and the benefits of cooking at home
• Examples of easy-to-make, cost-effective, healthy meals and snacks for different ages
• Alternative diet information such as gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian
• Sodium intake
• Eating disorders

Diet and obesity are very sensitive topics. To honor her patients, Dr. Nanda recommends that parents schedule their initial evaluation without their child(ren) present. This allows both Dr. Nanda and the parents to facilitate a candid conversation about weight and food without making kids feel uncomfortable. 

If you would like to learn more about the nutritional clinics offered at Rainbow Pediatrics, call or schedule a Strong Kids Clinic appointment with Dr. Nanda today. Most insurances cover the cost of the appointment(s), including the initial appointment for parents.