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10% of Pre-Schoolers Are Obese! Here’s What to Do with your Toddler

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The Obesity Society (yes, such an organization exists!) convened last week for its annual meeting.

Here are some scary numbers from a research program called “Nestle Feeding Infants & Toddlers Study”:

1. 10% of preschoolers age 2-5 are obese.

2. Eating habits are established as young as 12-24 months, and unfortunately toddlers are getting a bad start.

3. By age 4, calories from sweets account for three times more than calories from fruits and vegetables.

4.  One third of their daily calories come from snacks between meals. Unfortunately, cookies, candy and crackers are the snacks most consumed.

“We’re seeing poor eating habits starting early in life, and they mirror those of older children and adults. Parents and caregivers need to know that eating patterns are set early – between 12 to 24 months. It’s crucial to establish the foundation for healthy diets early in life when eating habits and food preferences are being formed,” said Dr. Kathleen Reidy, DrPH, RD, Head, Nutrition Science, Nestle Infant Nutrition. read more…

Scary to think that it’s getting worse from year to year.

What you can do as a parent to a baby / toddler:

1. Set an example by eating healthfully. If you’re guzzling a coke, your child will want one too. If you’re demolishing a family pack of Doritos watching the game on Sunday afternoon, your kid will do the same.

2. Don’t go down the juice path. Keep your baby hydrated with water. No need for the extra calories from juice.

3. Always have fruit or vegetable available for snack. Whether banana, blueberries, apple slices, baby carrots, cherry tomatos, or frozen options, young people need to be accustomed to the shapes, colors, and flavors of veggies and fruit.

4. That said, allow for junk food, but in extremely small portions, and not when your toddler is hungry.

5. Prepare food together. Toddlers love to play with food, and watch it being prepared. Give them a front row seat to your prep work by bringing their highchair into a vantage point on your prep work (never too close to the stove or range). Talk with them about what you are preparing and let them “help” in whatever capacity is relevant.

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  • Elizabeth Ward, MS, RD

    There’s nothing wrong with snacking, and given, our lifestyles, snacking is probably here to stay. Snacks should be mini-meals, not meal wreckers, and should be viewed as an opportunity for good nutrition. Kids of all ages, and adults, should snack on foods that they would have at healthy meals, not high-fat, high-sugar foods – those are treats, not daily snacks. Of course, all snacking and other eating needs to be accounted for in a person’s daily calorie budget. Upwards of 10% of toddlers are obese because they consume too many calories, from snacks, beverages or other foods. 

  • http://www.awakenedwellness.com Rachel Assuncao, Health Coach

    This study, released annually, always makes me so sad.  Again this year they confirm that “from 18% to 33% of infants and toddlers between ages 7 and 24 months
    consumed no discrete servings of vegetables, and 23% to 33% consumed no
    fruits.”  I can’t even imagine how this is possible – not feeding a toddler any fruits and vegetables?  It also strikes me as ironic that Nestle is responsible for the study, since they are also responsible for producing all of those Gerber Toddler Meals – helping to perpetuate the myth that kids need different food than adults.

    My daughter is now 3, and I am so grateful to have had the knowledge and resources to be able to help set her on a healthy path.    I think the tips you’ve provided in this post are an excellent starting point.

    In addition to making food together, I would also add shopping for food together to the list.  I take Little J to the grocery store with me and as we go through the produce section, it’s a great learning opportunity.  When she was not yet talking, I would describe each item as I put it into the cart.  Then, she worked on naming the colors, shapes, names of the fruits and vegetables.  Knowing what they are created excitement and interest for trying them.  And now that she’s old enough to start making choices, I can ask her if she wants a mango or pineapple and she can easily respond – and she can also look in the fridge and choose a fruit or veggie because she recognizes it and can name it.

  • JenerallyJen

    I’d actually disagree with the 10% quote. I’d say higher. I’m in a small town and have no nieces/nephews and only a handful of friends. And I actually know 2 children under the age of 5 1/2 yrs wearing a bra to school do to their massive weight. In a town of under 10,000.

    As far as the food goes I think that parents should try and set some goals during pregnancy. Not a list God knows we’re all busy enough. But 2-4 goals they’ll stick to no matter what. For us it was to defy the french fry statistic that it’s the #1 veggie for kids. Neither of our 2 kids ate a fry til they were age 4. Now the taste/texture/sodium of commercially done fries is an attack on their palates and they stay away naturally. (hubby and I are not perfect. Did he occasionally make a 11pm mcd’s run while the kids were asleep? indeed. But they didn’t identify the golden arches as anything other than a passing establishment on the way to grandma’s house)

    I think these days a great goal would be see if you can make it to the 2nd birthday without juice.  

    It’s possible. I promise.

  • Ruthsrealfood

    Great advice!

  • D_zacher

    I kind of second Rachel’s observation about Nestle. Aren’t they the major producers of baby and toddler food that is loaded with extra salt and sugar. Maybe they should heed their own advice.

  • http://twitter.com/nutri_tweets NCES Catalog

    These are some sad stats. I especially liked tip #1, BE AN EXAMPLE!

  • http://groundcherry.wordpress.com Stephanie

    I think it’s also important that you’re also making sure those babies are getting whole grains and fiber!  Obviously fruits and veg fill them up, but it’s important to set the taste for whole wheat, brown rice, oats, etc at a young age.

    What else?  Dance!  Play!  Move!  (yes, with the exclamation points, in small bursts throughout the day.)

  • Brooke

    Here are a few ways I have had my 2.5 year old help in the kitchen:
    -using an egg slicer to slice mushrooms
    -putting piles of chopped veggies into bowls from the cutting board
    -taking greens out of water after washing and into the saladspinner
    -using the salad spinner!
    -mixing
    -peeling garlic
    Does this make my child a super-eater? Haha – I did say I have a toddler! But she will *try* most things especially if I remind her that she helped.

  • Brooke

    Here are a few ways I have had my 2.5 year old help in the kitchen:
    -using an egg slicer to slice mushrooms
    -putting piles of chopped veggies into bowls from the cutting board
    -taking greens out of water after washing and into the saladspinner
    -using the salad spinner!
    -mixing
    -peeling garlic
    Does this make my child a super-eater? Haha – I did say I have a toddler! But she will *try* most things especially if I remind her that she helped.