Growing Epidemic Of Childhood Obesity

Obese adults were generally obese chidren.  I know I was, I started gaining weight around 13-years of age.  Today there are other kids that are gaining weight at a much younger age.  I’ve seen kids at the mall that look like young adults – but in fact they are 5 or 6 years old and are carrying around a lot of excess weight.  When you see the parents, it is very clear why the child or children are overweight – because the parents are.

It is always sad to see an overweight child.  Regardless of whether we want to admit it or not, being overweight is a stigma.  The last thing any parent should want is for their child to be made fun of – on the playground, or in school. 

In general terms, if parents are overweight – their children will be overweight.  There are of course exceptions to the rule.

Sho how big of an epedemic is obesity in children?

According to Wikipedia, in Canada the rate of obesity in children jumped to over 30% in boys in 1990.  Brazil recorded an increase from 4% to 14% in 1990 and the United States saw the rate triple between 1980 and 2000 though it has not changed significantly between 2000 and 2006.  However the number for the US is still high at 32% since 2008.

As in adults, there are many reasons for obesity in children:

• Sedentary lifestyle
• Lack of physical exercise
• Abundance of high calorie and fat foods in the home (junk food, sodas, chips, cookies)
• Home environment – high fat/calorie meals
• Development factors
• Medical conditions

Several studies have been performed as well (links go to Wikipedia):

• A study of 1800 children aged 2 to 12 in Colac, Australia tested a program of restricted diet (no carbonated drinks or sweets) and increased exercise. Interim results included a 68% increase in after school activity programs, 21% reduction in television viewing, and an average of 1 kg weight reduction compared to a control group.^[51]
• A survey carried out by the American Obesity Association into parental attitudes towards their children’s weight showed the majority of parents think that recess should not be reduced or replaced. Almost 30% said that they were concerned with their child’s weight. 35% of parents thought that their child’s school was not teaching them enough about childhood obesity, and over 5% thought that childhood obesity was the greatest risk to their child’s long term health.^[52]
• A Northwestern University study indicates that inadequate sleep has a negative impact on a child’s performance in school, their emotional and social welfare, and increases their risk of being overweight. This study was the first nationally represented, longitudinal investigation of the correlation between sleep, Body Mass Index (BMI) and overweight status in children between the ages of 3 and 18. The study found that an extra hour of sleep lowered the children’s risk of being overweight from 36% to 30%, while it lessened older children’s risk from 34% to 30%.^[53]

All that said, what can YOU do if you have a child that is overweight?  First see your doctor!  Never start your child on a weight loss program or exercise regime without consulting your doctor.  Many doctors will do some basic testing to ensure that the exercise or diet won’t do more harm than good.

If your doctor has given you the OK – start your child off slowly.  Start with a short walk, playing at the playground.  As they lose weight, and build stamina to do more – try longer walks, bicycle rides and get them involved in sports – start with things like swimming which is low impact.

Once again – see your doctor!  Never start your child on a weight loss program or exercise regime without consulting your doctor.  Many doctors will do some basic testing to ensure that the exercise or diet won’t do more harm than good.

Speaking from personal experience, we keep our 6-year old busy.  We allow TV and WII – but in moderation.  Once he’s outside, and playing – he doesn’t want to go in!

Additional Resources:

http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/children/index.html

Here is to your health!

Mohamed

_{»crosslinked«}

Technorati Tags: causes of childhood obesity, childhood obesity, childhood obesity in america, childhood obesity statistics, definition of childhood obesity, obese child, obese children, obesity in children