Nutritional Supplements for Obese Children

America's children are suffer from horrific rates of malnutrition: a whopping 32% are overweight or obese, and many will die prematurely due to complications of obesity, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. While there is no miracle-pill that will cure obesity in a child or adult, it is best to eliminate weight problems as early in life as possible. While almost all adult weight-loss supplements are powerful stimulants that would be dangerous for children, other supplements may offer promise in safely treating childhood obesity and related conditions.

Fighting Pediatric Deficiencies with a Balanced Multivitamin

Though we associated starvation with excessive thinness, many overweight children are more deficient in key vitamins and minerals than their underweight peers. Several studies have shown alarming deficiencies in calcium, iron, and vitamin D among overweight children. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies can easily lead to depression, learning disabilities, drowsiness, slowed metabolism, and impaired growth-- and may ultimately cause a vicious cycle of continued weight gain.

The best way to fight any form of vitamin deficiency is with a balanced diet in addition to a multivitamin, but it is difficult to coax any child, overweight or otherwise, into consuming a well-balanced diet. Fortunately, multivitamins tailor-made for growing children are widely available in health food stores and pharmacies. The Source of Life Animal Parade line of multivitamins, made by Nature's Plus, is an excellent chewable multivitamin to try, and it is free of preservatives and artificial sweeteners.

How Cinnamon can Prevent Type 2 Diabetes in Overweight Children

Many adults with Type 2 diabetes have found tremendous success in maintaining stable blood-glucose levels using cinnamon supplements, and it may prove to both prevent and treat the disease in children, as well. Fortunately, cinnamon appears to be very safe as a supplement for both children and adults, with very few negative effects reported. Cinnamon has been clinically proven to lower blood glucose levels, lower "bad" cholesterol, and keep blood sugar levels even, so children do not experience the up-and-down crashes that may lead to binge-eating.

Children are generally very reluctant to take pills, but most will take readily to the addition of cinnamon to their foods and drinks. Parents can consider giving their overweight children a hot mug of spiced cider every evening, or mixing cinnamon into pancake batter or mashed sweet potatoes. Over time, children can get a substantial dose of this helpful herb just through culinary exposure-- and it may help to improve their overall health.

Obese Children Benefit from Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Fish Oil

Omega-3 fatty acids like DHA and EPA are becoming very popular for both children and adults, and with good reason: the heart and brain both benefit from these key nutrients, and the majority of adults and children are deficient in them. Overweight children are especially likely to be deficient in omega-3 fats, making them more prone to depression, learning problems, heart disease, and-- you guessed it-- worsened obesity. Fish oil may be the single supplement that obese children need most, especially considering its ability to combat heart disease and other long-term illnesses that result from excessive fat intake.

While most children would not eagerly take unflavored fish oil directly, some companies, such as Source Naturals and Solgar, offer children's fish oil supplements that have been flavored and sweetened to make them more appealing. These chewable, fruit-flavored supplements are pleasing to most children, and do not result in unpleasant flavors or fishy reflux.

Can Kelp Supplements Jump-Start an Overweight Child's Thyroid?

Many adults take kelp, a natural source of iodine, to boost their own thyroid function and combat obesity. This simple, natural treatment is highly effective when obesity is the result of iodine-deficiency and hypothyroidism, but prolonged supplementation with kelp may cause or worsen thyroid disease, especially if the problem is caused by something other than iodine deficiency. Though it can be an effective treatment under some circumstances, it is a dangerous roulette unless the problem has been definitively diagnosed.

Parents who believe that their children have hypothyroidism caused by iodine deficiency should check with their children's doctors, who may request a blood test to confirm the possibility. If iodine deficiency does appear to be an underlying problem, kelp supplementation may prove to be incredibly useful, but it should not be used without maintaining an accurate diagnosis from the child's physician.

Childhood obesity is a serious epidemic that requires immediate attention. Though no single supplement can act as a panacea and fully cure a child of his weight problems, some supplements might help to combat the underlying causes and potential symptoms of obesity.