5 Ways to Help Kids Achieve a Healthy Weight by Kindergarten

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Obesity is rising among our youngest children.

That’s because of a mother’s obesity, less exclusive breastfeeding, and workplace and childcare issues, according to a new package of research from Salud America!, a national network for childhood obesity prevention and communication funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Salud America!’s Healthy Weight by Kindergarten research shows that many women, including many Latinos, are overweight/obese when they get pregnant. Obese moms gave birth to kids who were 1.8 times more likely to be obese than their peers.

Breastfeeding can reduce obesity by 47% among kids, but some moms are less likely than white moms to exclusively breastfeed their infants through age 1.

Solutions are emerging to improve maternal and child health:

Maternal exercise. Kids were less likely to be overweight or obese if the mother reported moderate exercise during pregnancy (vs remaining sedentary).

Prenatal programs. Women in a nurse-mother prenatal program in Colorado (47% Latino) had more than 90% of babies born at a healthy weight and 91% of mothers initiating breastfeeding.

Maternity leave. In California (39% Latino), where a paid family leave program is in place, breastfeeding duration was twice as long among mothers who took paid family leave.

Workplace policies. Latino moms were 30% more likely to breastfeed infants for at least 6 months in states with laws that provided break-time from work, and 20% more likely in regions with enforcement provisions for pumping laws.

Early childcare settings. Improving nutrition and physical activity standards in early childcare settings can curb kids’ fat intake, increase fruit/vegetable consumption, and boost activity levels.

“Interventions or policies aimed at improving breastfeeding rates among mothers and improving healthy lifestyle standards in prenatal and early childcare settings are critical to promoting healthy weight goals,” said Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez, director of Salud America! and the Institute for Health Promotion Research at UT Health San Antonio.

Go here to see the full research package!