child hood obesity and adhd

Childhood Obesity and ADHD
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Childhood obesity is a condition where a child is above the average or recommended body weight for his/her age (Ogden et al., 2014). Obese children often have a hard time associating with children their age due to their body size. They have often been nicknamed “the fat kid” and mocked which leads to segregation, depression and low self-esteem. For a child at middle and late childhood, friendship is an important aspect of life since friends make up a large portion of their company at school and home. Due to their lack of friends, obese children tend to be less active (Ogden et al., 2014). The society also unknowingly discriminates these children because school desks, seats and bus seats are designed to fit the regular child. During physical activity classes, the exercises done best suit average children, and this gives the obese child a hard time since he/she also has to deal with the coach and the mockery of classmates. In general, being an overweight child constitutes one of the harshest conditions of childhood.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD/ADD) is a behavioral disorder characterized by lack of attention, impulsivity, and hyperactivity (Oehrlein et al., 2016). The condition commonly manifests in victims while they are still young children. Raising and educating such a child is difficult especially due to their lack of concentration and their difficulty regarding academic, social and emotional functioning.

Diagnosis constitutes X-ray imaging, exams done by the child and parent and a visit to the psychologist (Oehrlein et al., 2016). Treatment options include home and school interventions or through psychotherapy where psychologists coach the child on how to behave normally and interact with others. Psychostimulant drugs can also be given to alter the chemistry and functioning of the children’s brains thus relieve the symptoms of the disease (Oehrlein et al., 2016). As a parent, it is important to diagnose your child early and begin treatment to better the child’s chances at an ordinary life. If my child gets diagnosed with the disorder, I would first try out therapy and home training to avoid using psychoactive drugs. If therapy and training don’t work, I will consider using medication. If other avenues are available, it would be advisable to use them since drugs alter brain function. Therapy and home training are safe options.
References
Oehrlein, E. M., Burcu, M., Safer, D. J., & Zito, J. M. (2016). National trends in ADHD diagnosis and treatment: comparison of youth and adult office-based visits. Psychiatric Services, 67(9), 964-969.
Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Kit, B. K., & Flegal, K. M. (2014). Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012. Jama, 311(8), 806-814.