American four year olds are fat.  That’s the word on the street and on the slides.  Playground pudgies.  Preschool porkers.  Toddler tubbies.   Current research shows that 1 out of 5 four year olds are obese, and it’s no laughing matter.   cnn

There is a vast disparity between ethnic groups, with Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans being most at risk for childhood obesity.   The reasons for the disparities are complex.  Socioeconomic and cultural norms may be a factor.  Kids living in areas of high poverty and crime, may not have opportunities to play outside.  Instead, they sit inside playing video games and watching TV.  Access to fresh fruits and vegetables is also a deterrent.  Many inner city neighborhoods do not have large grocery stores that carry such produce.  It is often times cheaper and easier to buy high-caloric processed foods.

This research caused me to have an acid flash back of when I was in nursing grad school (that would be an acid-reflux flashback.  I was never cool enough for the other kind of acid). During my graduate school training in the mid 90′s, I had a clinical rotation in a pediatric endocrinology clinic that served patients on public assistance.  I knew then that there would be an epidemic of childhood obesity plaguing this nation.  Almost every parent came into the clinic complaining that their child was over weight because of a “slow metabolism.” Almost every parent who came in with their overweight child, was also overweight.

I remember one little boy of about eight years old who was brought in with his mother.  The child weighed close to 150 pounds.  He was brought in by his mom not because of his weight, but because he was starting to have delusions, night terrors and to wet himself.  The patient was unable to lift himself up on the the exam table, so we examined him while seated.  During the history and physical, the boy admitted to drinking 6-12 cans of soda a day.  The mom became very distressed and accusatory, stating she was a single parent, who did not have anyone to watch her son while she worked.  He was a typical “latch-key kid.”  The child was eventually diagnosed with diabetes (duh) and placed on insulin and diet therapy.

On one of my last days of rotation at the clinic, a parent came in with her 6 month old baby.  She was referred to the clinic because her child was having excessive weight gain.  The mom showed up to the clinic with her child attached to what looked like a bird feeder.  There was a container of formula hanging from the top of the stroller.  The bag of formula had a long straw-like tube leading from it to the babies mouth.  When asked what this contraption was, the mom replied “oh, this is a hands-free feeder.”

Yes ladies and gentleman, there is an actual product out there that promotes not holding your child during feedings.  The neglected infant can just suck on demand on the plastic tube, and receive as much nutrition as desired.  The problem with this is, a child who is not  held and cared for will substitute another pleasurable stimulus for the lack of cuddling.  They will feed themselves fat.

We need to stop feeding our kids fat.  It is a complex problem and I am not naive enough to think banning “hands-free feeders”, or telling kids to go outside and play will solve anything.  But, something must be done, for the sake of our kids, and to save me from having more flashbacks.

RR