A Very Weighty Subject

By Mark Loehrke
Appears in the September 2025 issue.

Mitigating the risks of childhood obesity

Childhood obesity is a serious problem. In fact, for the millions of kids living with the condition across the nation—including more than 16 percent of public school students in DuPage County (see sidebar)—the potential long-term health risks are alarming.

Those long-term risks include higher rates of heart disease, diabetes, fatty liver disease, and orthopedic complications. In addition, kids with obesity often deal with the burden of mental health concerns, including lower self-esteem and higher rates of depression and anxiety.

That’s why there’s no better time to focus on this issue than during September, which the American College of Sports Medicine has designated as National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. We checked in with pediatrician Annie Mlnarik and pediatric hospitalist Steven Bachta, both of Endeavor Health Medical Group, for a few strategies that families can take to confront obesity.

“We must work to find the balance though between motivating kids for change, while avoiding increasing shame or guilt surrounding weight problems,” Mlnarik says. “As much as exercise is a key component to a healthy lifestyle, when it comes to weight management, it’s all about diet.”

Here are three areas Mlnarik believes families should focus on:

1. Eliminate sugary drinks. Juice may be marketed as good for kids, but it is essentially liquid sugar. Give your child an actual orange or apple rather than juice. The only liquids your child should be drinking are water or milk.

2. Mind the snacks. When you’re on the go, reaching for carb-based snack bags like goldfish, chips, or pretzels may be quick and easy, but offering a fruit or vegetable instead, paired with a healthy fat or protein, is a healthier alternative. Think: a banana with peanut butter, apple slices with cheese, carrots or cucumbers with hummus, blueberries with yogurt, etc. These paired snacks will keep your child full longer and provide better nutrition.

3. Pay attention to portion sizes. If your child is a quick eater, their body might not have time to signal their brain that they are full before they reach for seconds. Try encouraging your child to drink a full glass of water after their first serving before giving them more. This will allow time for them to check in with their body and better sense when they have had enough food.

Bachta, meanwhile, recommends focusing on four key areas in the battle against obesity:

1. Model a healthy eating pattern for your children with fruits and vegetables and limiting overly processed foods.

2. Replace screen time with active family time by going for a walk outside or visiting a playground together.

3. Develop a consistent sleep schedule.

4. Partner with your pediatrician or family physician to find additional resources for your child and family.

With respect to his suggestion about active family time, Bachta has seen the dynamic at work in his own family, where his wife and two girls (ages 7 and 10) all spend time engaging in ninja competitions together. (In fact, Bachta has appeared on the TV show American Ninja Warrior three times.) It’s exercise time that doubles as family fun and bonding.

“Being active as a family has been one of the great joys of my life,” he says. “My wife, my girls, and I are all at different levels athletically, but having a common activity helps us bond and encourage each other to live a healthy lifestyle with good eating and sleep habits. We’re not perfect every day, but we have definitely grown healthier year by year as our routine has become more consistent. I think the most important thing is to find an activity you enjoy and that you can do together as a family or with a friend. And just keep showing up.”

Local Snapshot

In 2023–24, more than one in seven (14.2 percent) DuPage County public school students from participating kindergarten, sixth-, and ninth-grade classes were obese (defined as having a body mass index at or above the 95th percentile for age and sex)—an increase of 8 percent from data measured in 2018–19. Additionally, more than 45 percent of DuPage County school-age children with obesity had elevated blood pressure readings.

Source: Childhood Obesity in DuPage County, 2023–2024 Annual Report by the DuPage County Health Department, November 2024

Photo: iStock