With all that said, it
continually shocks me to read statistics like these from the Center for Disease
Control:
- Childhood obesity
has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past
30 years.1, 2
- The percentage of
children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased
from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2010. Similarly, the percentage of
adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over
the same period.1, 2
- In 2010, more than
one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.1
- Overweight is defined as having excess body
weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a
combination of these factors.3 Obesity is defined as
having excess body fat.4
- Overweight and
obesity are the result of “caloric imbalance”—too few calories expended
for the amount of calories consumed—and are affected by various genetic,
behavioral, and environmental factors.5,6
- During the last 3 decades, the prevalence of obesity has tripled among persons aged 6–19 years. Multiple chronic disease risk factors, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and high blood glucose levels are related to obesity.
It goes without saying that healthy
diets for children can be a challenge to manage successfully. However, teaching
children about the importance of exercise and healthy eating early on can prevent
most cases of obesity; as well as avoid the struggles and confrontations that
can arise when you decline the lastest request for potato chips or candy. Yes,
there are medical conditions some children deal with. We are not trivializing
those issues here by any means. But we all know of the growing trend of couch
potatoes and computer geeks . . .
There are growing numbers of
programs in schools that address the importance of healthy eating patterns.
Inside the classroom, there is curriculum specifically focused on statistics
of illness rates, allergy percentages,
etc. and how they are directly related to low test scores, irritability, and
hyperactivity.
Television programs are even
taking part in the fight. Shows like NBC’s The Biggest Loser have had successful
runs at targeting America’s youth; teaching them how to eat healthy and take
care of their bodies.
Don’t forget: You are feeding
your babies’ brains. Their ability to focus, energy levels, muscle strength,
irritability, etc. are all impacted by what they eat and how much activity they
partake in. Start them young and . . . get your kids outside!
1. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Kit BK, Flegal KM. Prevalence of
obesity and trends in body mass index among US children and adolescents,
1999-2010. Journal
of the American Medical Association
2012;307(5):483-490.
2. National Center for Health Statistics. Health, United
States, 2011: With Special Features on Socioeconomic Status and Health.
Hyattsville, MD; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2012.
3. National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung, and
Blood Institute. Disease and Conditions Index: What Are Overweight and
Obesity?
Bethesda, MD: National Institutes of Health; 2010.
4. Krebs NF, Himes JH, Jacobson D, Nicklas TA, Guilday P,
Styne D. Assessment of child and adolescent overweight and obesity. Pediatrics 2007;120:S193–S228.
5. Daniels SR, Arnett DK, Eckel RH, et al. Overweight in
children and adolescents: pathophysiology, consequences, prevention, and
treatment. Circulation 2005;111;1999–2002.
6. Office of the Surgeon General. The Surgeon General's Vision for a
Healthy and Fit Nation.
[pdf 840K]
. Rockville, MD, U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services; 2010.
Other References:
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