Obesity can lead to a myriad of health-related problems for not just adults, but children as well. According to a recent research study, a third of children will be overweight by 2050. Keep reading to find out s how parents can help reduce the obesity rate in their children without body-shaming! 

According to Parents.com, the new research study, published in March of this year in The Lancet, looked at 204 countries around the world, reviewing their body weight statistics. The researchers discovered that overweight and obesity rates in both children, and adults, over the past three decades have more than doubled. 

Researchers projected that by 2050, around 60% of adults and nearly a third of children and teens could be overweight or obese. They’re urging governments and public health leaders to take immediate action—both in treating affected kids and in putting real prevention strategies in place.

“The unprecedented global epidemic of overweight and obesity is a profound tragedy and a monumental societal failure,” lead study author, Professor Emmanuela Gakidou, said in a press release about the study. 

“Governments and the public health community can use our country-specific estimates on the stage, timing, and speed of current and forecasted transitions in weight to identify priority populations experiencing the greatest burdens of obesity who require immediate intervention and treatment, and those that remain predominantly overweight and should be primarily targeted with prevention strategies,” the release continued.

So, just what can parents do to help reduce the obesity rate in their children without body-shaming? According to the experts, here are a few tips to add to your toolbox. 

• Language matters. When you are talking to kids about body image and weight, remember, language matters. You want to ensure that they are not feeling judged in any way and truly supported. Parents need to find a way to “connect” with children over “correction.”

“Kids copy what they see, not just what they hear,” Ilan Shapiro, MD at AltaMed Health Services, who oversees a childhood obesity program, told Parents. “So the most powerful message is watching us choose movement, enjoy fruits and vegetables, and talk kindly about our own bodies.”

• Make movement playful and a time to connect. 
• Cook together.
• Make water and rest rituals part of your day.
• Institute some joyful swaps. Instead of restricting foods, offer fun alternatives.

Although the findings of this new research underscore the urgent need for early intervention and comprehensive public health strategies to curb rising childhood obesity rates before they reach crisis levels, it is something that parents can get a handle on and turn those projections around for the better for everyone!