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Child Obesity Links
CHILDHOOD OBESITY STATISTICS CHILDHOOD OBESITY: PREVENTION TIPS CHILDHOOD OBESITY & HEALTH PROBLEMS HEALTHY RECIPES FOR WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
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Introduction
In today’s society, childhood obesity has skyrocketed at an alarming rate. According to the Surgeon General, the amount of children who are obese have tripled in the past two decades. Childhood obesity is a serious problem and not something to be taken lightly. It is a leading cause for immediate problems, such as sleep apnea, diabetes, and asthma, and also long-term problems, such as heart disease, cancer, and strokes. To fully understand its destruction, though, we must first understand the basics.
There are three factors that greatly contribute to childhood obesity:
Parents' Influence - More often than not, an obese child has parents who also have poor dietary and exercise habits, and are obese themselves. Since it is the parents who are responsible for cooking meals, these parents are more likely to prepare fatty meals for their children instead of well-balanced, nutritious meals incorporating items from every food group on the pyramid. Also, since these parents tend to have a sedentary lifestyle, their children will most likely mimick it, spending more time on the sofa, and less time engaging in healthy forms of exercise.
Low Energy Spending - In this technological age, kids spend more time with their eyes glued to the glowing TV screen, or rocking their controllers as they become engulfed in a world of "It's-a-me, Mario!" and "Power Up!" bleeps. Their physical activity is low, and their caloric intake isn't being burned off. Children gain weight when the amount of calories they consume exceed the amount of physical activity they take part in. Since the amount of time spent engaging in physical activities is sacrificed to TV, computers, and video games, weight gain is becoming increasingly common in children.
Hereditary - In some cases, a person's genes are wired to make them obese. Genes can impact the fat/muscle ratio in our bodies, distributing different portions to each person. In children who are obese, the ratio of fat exceeds the ratio of muscle. Also, our appetite is impacted by hereditary factors. People whose genes provide them with a larger appetite eat more; eating more leads to a larger weight gain.
Childhood obesisty can lead to a series of dangerous and life-long health problems. These include:
Low Self-Esteem - Children who are obese are more likely to be picked on and teased, causing them to have low self-confidence and a poor self-image. They might become shy and introverted or depressed. It can influence their social life, preventing them from forming both positive, healthy relationships that we carry and use throughout life, and the correct interpersonal skills children learn from interacting and engaging in activity with peers.
Type II Diabetes - Type II Diabetes is a condition where the body's insulin no longer works properly, preventing glucose from getting inside cells. This means the person has a high blood/sugar level. To cope with Type II Diabetes, one must use medications, alter their diet significantly, and exercise frequently. All of this can be prevented by making wise food/exercise decisions to begin with. It seems simple enough, but according to experts in the field of Pediatric Endocrinology, the amount of children afflicted has risen 16% in the past 8 years.
Sleep apnea - Sleep apnea is a condition where the victim stops breathing while asleep. According to Yahoo! Health, it can happen as often as 20-30 times per hour. It also leads to unfulfilled sleep and falling asleep throughout the day unintentionally, such as while at school or while watching a movie. Child obesity provides a greater risk of developing apnea.
Childhood obesity can also cause serious, life-threatening problems that will develop in adulthood. These include:
Hypertension - Hypertension is having high blood pressure; that is, a blood pressure over 140. Multiple side effects come with having hypertension, including tiredness, confusion, vision changes, nausea and vomiting, muscle tremors, chest pain, and heart failure. Hypertension is greatly linked to obesity and can be avoided by staying in the proper weight range.
Strokes - Strokes are "brain attacks" that occur when there is a blood flow problem. This problem disallows oxygen to reach the brain, killing off cells. Strokes are serious and can lead to loss of speech, vision, or movement on one side of the body. Staying fit and eating right will greatly reduce the risk of having a stroke.
Heart Attacks - Heart attacks are sudden disturbances of blood flow to a section of the heart. Blood flow is necessary for the heart to get oxygen; without it, the heart begins to die. It is the leading cause of death in the U.S. for adult men and women. To keep your heart healthy, it is important to eat nutritiously.
Cancer - The American Cancer Society has determined that "14% of all cancer deaths among men and 20% of all cancer deaths in women were associated with being overweight or obese." (Web MD) Knowing this statistic, individuals should maintain their weight properly and not risk developing cancer.
Choose Foods Carefully - Parents need to make wise selections while walking down the aisles of their local grocery store. What they buy impacts their kids' health.
For main course meals, while it'd be more convenient to microwave a TV dinner or pop in a frozen pizza, it'd be worthwhile to take 45 minutes to steam vegetables and cook a nutritious meal. Cookbooks provide ideas for original, tasty meals that are good to kids' health.
Snacks are also something that need to be chosen appropriately to lead to better weight management. Instead of candy, cookies, and cake, parents should stick to tasty and healthy products. Pretzels, air-popped popcorn, string cheese, fruits, yogurt, and celery sticks are some examples of nutritious snacks that kids will enjoy.
Finally, the beverages parents select to wash down meals will largely impact a child's weight. With a 12-oz can of Coke containing 140 calories and 39 grams of sugar, sodas aren't the best choice. Water is an excellent choice; coming from your tap, it's free, and has zero calories. 100% fruit juices are excellent choices, too. These include orange juice, apricot nectar juice, cranberry juice, white grape juice, and apple juice. Beware of fruit drinks, sport drinks, punches, and ades, though. These don't contain 100% fruit, and instead, are infused with sugar.
Being a wise consumer will lead to positive results.
Encourage Physical Exercise - Having an active lifestyle is a great way to spend time with the family and reduce the risks of childhood obesity. Here are some ideas:
Interested In More Information?
Elias, Marilyn. "Television ads aimed at kids must change, psychologists say." USA Today. 24 February 2004.
Author Unknown. "Sedentary lifestyle in early childhood major risk factor for obesity." Biotech Weekly. 4 February 2004.
Spake, Amanda. "The Future of Fatness." U.S. News and World Report. 9 February 2004.
Head to Alden Library and read these journal articles!
This article discussed the impacts of the commercials aired on children's networks, marketing sugary, gooey, sweet snacks and desserts on child obesity.
The author writes about the correlation between children's sedentary lifestyles and childhood obesity. He urges the introduction of public health information to increase activity in the youth and decrease childhood obesity.
This in-depth article focuses on the idea that because children fall into trends and patterns, children of obese parents are likely to be obese themselves. The article also discusses the problems with fast food and inactivity, and their impact on childhood obesity.
