Childhood overweight and obesity is a growing epidemic worldwide. In the last 3 decades, childhood obesity rates have more than tripled in the United States. The American Heart Association reports that 1/3 of American children and teens are overweight or obese. In the United States, public health officials, clinicians, researchers and policy makers are working to understand why the rates for obesity in children are rising and how the trend can be reversed.
Childhood Obesity
Very simply, obesity can be understood as the result of a caloric imbalance that occurs when more calories are consumed by an individual than are expended. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an individual with a Body Mass Index, or BMI, greater than 30 is considered obese. The BMI is a calculation that was designed to use a person's height and weight to determine body fatness. Although the BMI is generally considered a good instrument for diagnosing obesity in adults, its use with children is controversial because kids are still growing.
Health Implications
Childhood obesity can have serious negative consequences to health both in the short and long term. Children and adolescents who are overweight or obese are likely to be overweight or obese as adults. Obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, osteoarthritis and some forms of cancer. Obese children are more likely to develop these serious illnesses at a younger age than have previous generations. Obese youth may also struggle with depression and poor self esteem, which can negatively affect their quality of life and relationships with other people.
Causes
There is no single cause of childhood obesity. Obesity is influenced by genetic, environmental and behavioral factors. Children who consume empty calories and engage in little or no physical activity are at risk of becoming overweight or obese. Children today have greater access to energy dense foods and working parents often rely on fast food or convenience foods to feed their families. In many parts of the country, children are less active because of cuts to physical education programs and recess in the schools and unsafe neighborhoods. In some cases, children spend too much time sitting in front of the television, the computer, or playing video games.
Interventions
Children and adolescents spend the majority of their time in school which makes school-based interventions a popular approach to preventing childhood obesity. Schools can provide students with nutritional education, serve healthy meals, eliminate the sale of nutritionally deficient competitive foods, and provide opportunities to be physically active. It is also important to educate parents about teaching their kids to follow a healthy diet, exercise regularly and cut down on screen time. Policy makers also believe that limiting the number of advertisements for sugary foods that kids are exposed to can make a difference.
Member Comments