This post was in partnership with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend brands we genuinely love.
"Parenthood is full of unknowns, and navigating your child’s health can be one of the most confusing parts—especially when it comes to growth, nutrition, and overall well-being. While having endless information at our fingertips can feel overwhelming, having access to the right guidance can be incredibly empowering. If you’ve ever wondered whether your child’s weight, eating habits, or activity levels are on track, you’re not alone—and we’ve sought expert advice to help answer your biggest questions.
Here at The Everymom, our goal has always been to be a trusted resource through every phase of motherhood—the exciting, the difficult, and the uncertain. To help parents feel more confident about childhood weight and wellness, we connected with top pediatric health experts at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago to break down common concerns. We also asked you, our readers, to share the questions weighing most on your minds—so the experts could address them directly. Keep reading for their expert-backed insights and advice!
Answering Your Questions on Childhood Weight & Wellness
Meet the Expert
Dr. Caren Mangarelli
Obesity prevention and treatment specialist, primary care physician for children and teens, and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
1. How much of a factor do genetics play into potential weight issues for a child?
“Around 50 percent of a person’s risk for obesity or struggles with weight comes from a mix of genes from both sides of the family. The combination of genes does matter because I’ll hear parents say they have four kids, two struggling with weight and two who are not. That (usually) has to do with the fact that siblings don’t have the exact same genetic makeup.”
2. How do I know if my child is overweight or if it’s just something they’ll “grow out of”? At what age or point is it truly a problem?
Dr. Mangarelli notes that gender can play a role in whether or not a child can “grow out of” being overweight. “In particular, puberty can help some males improve their body composition and weight because the hormone changes of puberty in boys promote an increase in muscle mass. In contrast, it’s very uncommon for a female to improve their weight status or body composition during puberty because, for females and girls, puberty promotes an increase in fat mass.
Even so, most (but not all) children who struggle with significant weight issues or severe obesity will continue to do so in adulthood. The more severe the obesity is (using BMI/growth charts to measure), the more difficult it can be to outgrow or improve weight issues over time.”
3. How accurate are ideal weight and height charts when indicating if a child is overweight? It seems as if the chart method fails to take different body types into account. Is BMI a more accurate measurement?
“This is very important. Essentially, body mass index (BMI) is a mathematical formula that measures a person’s mass by comparing weight to height. It’s meant to be used as a screening tool, not as a diagnostic tool. And that’s because it doesn’t tell you anything about body composition. It doesn’t say how much fat mass versus lean body mass a person has. This matters because it’s not the weight but the excess body fat that can lead to health problems. Often in practice [to specifically measure body fat], we use a special scale like a bioelectrical impedance scale, which is also not perfect but is better than the BMI alone. In addition, we tend to do screening blood work or blood tests and take family history into account, especially for things like cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”
4. Does a higher BMI as a baby indicate that they will have weight issues later in life?
“Studies show that babies who are born large for gestational age and babies who gain weight rapidly during the first six months of life do have a higher risk of struggling with obesity in later childhood. A mom can’t control what a baby weighs at birth, but I tell parents that, in infancy, it’s important to pay attention to the baby’s hunger and fullness cues as well as you can. This could be easier or harder based on the baby’s personality, but focus on the baby’s cues rather than when you think they should be eating.”
5. How does childhood obesity affect a child’s future health as an adult?
“Children and adolescents who have obesity commonly become adults who struggle with obesity, and adult obesity leads to significant health issues, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, organ dysfunction, and certain types of cancer. Having childhood obesity can decrease a person’s overall lifespan as well as quality of life. The notion that people will outgrow it, while true for some individuals, isn’t true for most. Most people continue to struggle with obesity through adulthood and, therefore, are at risk for health problems. This is why the American Academy of Pediatrics is no longer encouraging watchful waiting but rather taking action during childhood when there is a better chance of preventing or improving the associated health conditions.“
6. How important is milk for toddler/childhood growth? My child refuses any milk at all.
“The big things milk provides are calcium, vitamin D, and protein. Not all alternative kinds of milk have equivalent amounts of protein. This can be a big issue in toddlerhood because if one of the alternative types of milk makes up a large amount of the child’s diet (ideally, it shouldn’t), they often could be deficient in the amount of protein they’re getting, which could affect their growth.
Overall, if your child doesn’t drink milk, they’ll need to get vitamin D, calcium, and protein in other ways. Other dairy or greens work for calcium, but for vitamin D, there’s not a lot coming from food aside from fortified milk. Vitamin D comes from the sun on your skin (get outside!), or you may need to use a vitamin supplement. For protein, make sure they’re getting an adequate amount from other foods, such as meat and fish, beans and lentils, eggs, nuts, and seeds.”
7. How do you approach weight concerns with your child without hurting their feelings?
“Overall, it can be hard to do. Focus on healthy or unhealthy habits or choices, and don’t center discussions around weight or appearance. Try to give praise when the child makes healthy choices instead of focusing on the negative. Especially for older children and teens, you’ll get pushback if you criticize their choices.
Lead by example. Oftentimes, the best move is showing them healthy choices through your behavior and trying to keep the home environment as healthy and positive as possible. You lose some control in middle and high school as teens make more decisions on their own, and it can be a challenge to deal with that loss of control. But being a strong role model can be a powerful way to handle it.”
8. How do you manage healthy eating habits in a split household with two opposing views?
Dr. Mangarelli says that she often sees this issue coming from co-parents who are not living in the same home or when parents have to rely on grandparents or other family members for childcare.
“I usually tell the parents of my patients to focus on what they have control over. Don’t get caught up on what you can’t control. I also suggest that the adult in the ‘other’ household or with differing views speak with their child’s medical provider to hear directly from the expert and ask questions. Sometimes, messaging from a health professional is better received than the message from a co-parent or family member.”
9. Do you have any advice on how to stop family members from commenting on weight?
“At a time when the child is not around, I would try to have an honest conversation with the family member(s). The comments, while they may be well-meaning, are hurtful and not helpful. It’s always preferable to focus on choices and habits as opposed to appearance and weight. If the family member is not respectful of your communication and requests, then you may need to limit time spent around them.”
10. My kid doesn’t like sports—how can they still remain active?
“We recommend building more physical activity and steps into the daily routine with activities like walking pets, walking to school, and taking stairs instead of elevators. Other alternative physical activities that aren’t group sports are riding a bike, dancing, learning martial arts, and jumping rope. Even chores can count if they get the child moving a lot (i.e., vacuuming, gardening, etc.).”
11. What tips do you have for a child losing weight or gaining weight due to medication side effects?
“Certain medications can indeed promote weight gain or loss. Oftentimes, this is due to the medication affecting the appetite or the satiety center in the brain. My best advice is to bring this up with the prescribing clinician to see if the dose or type of medication can be changed or altered.”
12. What are holistic ways to help a child maintain a healthy weight?
“In addition to focusing on eating habits and physical activity, it’s also important to make sure that children are getting good quality sleep. This may require setting rules around screen time at home. Parents can also help children by providing guidance on managing stress levels and increasing joy and human connection in their lives!”
About Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Led by a team of world-renowned pediatric experts, Lurie Children’s is the #1 pediatric hospital in Illinois and an institution we trust for all things kids’ health. With 140 years of clinical expertise, research, and community engagement, the team at Lurie Children’s is committed to putting children and their families at the center of everything they do. We are honored to partner with Lurie Children’s to help educate our readers about how we can help our kids lead a healthier future. Learn more about Lurie Children’s and find a doctor near you today!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
McKenna Pringle, Branded Content Editoral Assistant
As the Branded Content Editorial Assistant, McKenna collaborates with our sales team by creating both written and social media content, collecting and analyzing performance data to report back to our partners, and assisting our editors with their everyday tasks to ensure a smooth and productive process.
This post was in partnership with Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, but all of the opinions within are those of The Everymom editorial board. We only recommend brands we genuinely love.