The Home Page Network

On today’s feature, Wellsboro Home Page visits with Dr. Stephen Sasser of the Laurel Health Center in Wellsboro to learn more about the overwhelming research that has confirmed – if your child is obese in adolescence, they are more than likely going to be obese in adulthood. Dr. Sasser will discuss the research and the steps parents can take to maintain a healthy weight for their child.

In fact 12 million kids between the ages of 6 and 11 weigh in overweight for their age group and another 36.5% of adults over tip the scales. In fact, according to a CDC study in 2013, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years.

While it is true that some obesity health concerns are caused by other health problems the three most common factors of obese children are age of onset, severity, and parental obesity.

When talking with his patients, Dr. Sasser likes to start with the basics and one tool that he uses is 5210 which has been brought forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics. (The list is included in the poster below) He also has an eight week family plan he incorporates which teaches healthy habits and healthy living taken from the book by Dr. Walt Larimore called “Super Sized Kids.” Both of these resources help to support the children and their families during this time of healthy changes. Of course Dr. Sasser says, “it’s work, it just won’t happen, you have to make changes and we do not like change as human beings, it takes work, but those habits all come together to influence our weight and how healthy we are.”

As Doctor Sasser reminds us, there is not only hope for a child’s life to change, there are resources to help them succeed! For more information please contact your local Laurel Health Center or visit the Laurel Health Centers website here.