Childhood obesity is surging, pediatrician explains what parents should know

As childhood obesity rises, pediatrician says what parents need to know

As weight loss drugs continue to make headlines, doctors say already the use of nonprescribed weight-loss products among teens is a growing public health concern.

FOX 2 (WJBK) - At the beginning of a new year, more and more people tend to put an emphasis on lifestyle changes - working out more, eating healthier, and losing weight.

How often do you hear people mentioning those three things, among others, as top New Year's resolutions?

"Just as adults have an issue with body image we focus on social media," said Dr. Tiffany Widner, Pediatrician, Children’s Hospital of Michigan. "Teenagers or adolescents are doing the same things. They have the same dreams to have this perfect image that is unattainable."

Forbes Health recently published a study that in 2024, about 48 percent of Americans say improving fitness is their top resolution. About 36 percent listed mental health as their priority.

And as weight-loss drugs continue to make headlines, doctors say already the use of nonprescribed weight-loss products among teens is a growing public health concern.

"A lot of those things are not targeted for our adolescent population, which is where the problem lies," Widner said.

Kids learn by example they watch, and they emulate. All the more reason, Dr Tiffany Widner a pediatrician with CHM, says that adults need to talk more transparently at home about their lifestyle choices.

More specifically, talk about how they are achieving them.

"My parents will come in and tell me 'Oh they won’t eat vegetables, they won't eat fruit,' and I say to them, 'Well do you eat vegetables and fruit?" Widner said. "Modeling is so important."

Childhood obesity is real and is a serious concern that Covid has only made worse. Harvard reports in the last 30 years rates have tripled in the US.

"There are weight loss medications that are FDA-approved for adolescents starting at age 12 and it is for individuals that are actually obese," Widner said.

Those options include: Wegovy, Saxenda, Orlista, and Qsymia.

"We know that a lot of the medications that are targeted for weight loss are not studied for our patient population," she said. "We’re not supposed have high levels of caffeine in out adolescent patients."

And because it’s a stimulant, doctors say too much caffeine, especially for young people, could lead to long-term heart problems.