Should my child take medication to help fight their obesity?

Should my child take medication to help fight their obesity?

John Spencer Ellis (Author, TV Show Host, Trainer and CEO, National Exercise & Sports Trainers Association) gives expert video advice on: How can exercise benefit the elderly?; How can I help prevent childhood obesity?; Should my child take medication to help fight their obesity? and more...

Only your doctor can decide if your child should take medication for obesity. It is my opinion as a health and fitness educator and not a medical doctor, that children do not need medication. I think through proper lifestyle enhancement, eating organic foods, managing stress, kids have stress too, getting involved in the community, doing all the right things that we know. We know what we need to do. The kids don't need the medication. It's just absolutely not necessary with very, very few exceptions. And here's the thing too. The parents should intervene early enough to where the child isn't so obese that, that may be the only answer is medical and pharmaceutical intervention. If he knows your child is 5 or 10 lbs. overweight, encourage them to be more active. You're not saying you're going on a diet or you need to get on a fitness program. "Let's be active." "Let's enjoy the active lifestyle." "Let's go hiking." "Let's ride a bike." "Let's go swimming." So it's parental intervention early enough to where medicine may not be needed.