Obesity in children is an epidemic, with one in five children being overweight, according to the National Institutes of Health. The calculation of body mass index, using weight and height, determines whether your child is normal, overweight or obese. Your child is overweight if he falls between the 85th to 95th percentiles, and considered obese if at or above the 95th percentile. Children who spend a considerable amount of time in front of the television are more likely to be overweight, especially when the total caloric intake exceeds the calories burned from physical activity.
Significance
The Kaiser Family Foundation reports that two-thirds of infants and toddlers watch an average of two hours of television on a daily basis, and children 6 and younger spend approximately two hours daily watching television. Kids and teenagers between ages 8 to 18 spend an estimate of four hours per day in front of the television, and approximately two hours in front of a computer of video game system per day.
Causes
The causes of obesity can vary from child to child. Your child may be obese from a genetic predisposition of which he has no control over, such as a rare genetic order known as Prader-Willi syndrome, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
You may also notice the reduction in physical exercise at schools and during after-school programs. In the common areas, the increase in soda and snack machines allows your child easy access to junk food. The growing number of fast-food restaurants with the option to super-size meals increases caloric intake. In addition, the growing number of television advertisements that promote unhealthy snacks and beverages entices your child to eat unhealthy foods.
Effects
Your child's risk of developing health problems in adulthood increases if she is an obese child. Medical problems associated with obesity include hypertension, type 2 diabetes, respiratory ailments, orthopedic problems and trouble sleeping, according to Kaiser Family Foundation. She may also be a victim of social isolation or criticism, leading to the development of low self-esteem or depression.
Prevention/Solution
Controlling the time in front of the television is the first step you should take to decrease your child's risk for obesity. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children older than 2 should be limited to one to two hours of quality programming daily, and children younger than the age of 2 should not watch any television.
In addition, studies performed in 1999 and 2001 by Dr. Thomas Robinson of the Department of Pediatrics at the Stanford University School of Medicine concluded that television is a cause of the increased body fatness. Reducing television, video games and watching videotapes is an approach to help prevent childhood obesity.
Considerations
The increased number of television ads your children views on television may be a contributing factor to weight increase. According to Kaiser Family Foundation, the number of television advertisements doubled from 20,000 to 40,000 since the 1970s, with the majority of the advertisements that target your child being candy, cereal and fast food. Reducing the exposure to these types of advertisements and promoting fitness are ways to promote better nutrition. You are a role model for your child, and when your children see you reach for a banana or apple, instead of a brownie, they are likely to follow your example, according to National Institutes of Health.
