Obesity is a growing problem in the United States, where obesity-related medical expenses added up to $47.5 billion in 1998. Obesity is also a growing problem for children in the United States, and there's been much attention paid to obesity in U.S. children in the early twenty-first century.
Identification
A child is considered obese if his body mass index (BMI) is equal to or greater than the 95th percentile for the child's age and sex. To calculate BMI, multiply your child's weight in pounds by 703. Divide the number that you get by your child's height in inches, and then divide that total by your child's height in inches again. A 4-foot child weighing 80 lb. would have a BMI of 24.4.
Prevalence
The occurrence of obesity for children between ages 6 and 11 more than doubled between 1980 and 2006, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), increasing from 6.5 percent to 17 percent. The obesity rate for children ages 12 to 19 increased from 5 percent to 17.6 percent over the same time period. One in three U.S. children is considered overweight or obese, according to the Nemours Foundation.
Effects
Childhood obesity has a significant impact. Being obese increases a child's risk of developing serious health conditions, including diabetes, heart disease, depression, infertility and liver and gallstone diseases. Obese children may also experience a lower quality of life in their school and social environments, according to research published in 2003 in the "Journal of the American Medical Association" and conducted by researchers at the University of California and Texas A&M University, which reported obese children between 5 and 18 years of age had a significantly lower health-related quality of life than their healthy-weight peers.
Causes
Some genetic factors may contribute to obesity, including endocrine system issues and genetic syndromes. Sometimes factors such as medication can cause a significant increase in weight loss. In many cases, high-fat foods and sedentary lifestyles combine to cause childhood obesity, according to the Nemours Foundation.
Prevention/Solution
According to the CDC, maintaining a healthy diet and getting regular exercise can significantly lower obesity risk. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all children older than 2 years get at least an hour of exercise every day. Minimizing children's access to unhealthy snacks, especially those with trans fats--such as fried foods and baked goods--and providing them with a healthy diet can also help reduce obesity risk.
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