The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that as many as 17 percent of children ages 2 to 19 are considered obese. A shocking upward trend in the number of overweight and obese children points toward a generation of children who suffer from various emotional and physical strains, even leading to a hypothetical life span shorter than that of their parents. Understanding the stress that being overweight causes your child offers a wake-up call to action for healthier diets and more physical activity for kids.
Physical Stress
Overweight children often don't realize the effects that excess weight and unhealthy habits have on their bodies. Overweight children are more likely to suffer from weight-related health issues that typically plague adults, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep apnea and stress on the organs, bones and muscles. Basically, being overweight shortens your child's lifespan and sets her up for a veritable lifetime of medical issues due to a completely reversible and preventable condition.
Social Stress
Comparing your overweight child to a normal child makes the social stress she faces on a daily basis clearer. Overweight children tend to mature faster than their peers, meaning your overweight child will experience voice changes, bodily changes and menstruation ahead of her friends, which is often cause for teasing and bullying at school. Your child's appearance makes her a target for ostracization, which contributes to overall low self esteem and self worth.
Emotional Stress
Besides the fact that an overweight child is clearly different from her peers, teased and bullied, she might also bully herself. Overweight children are more likely to suffer from depression and develop eating disorders. An unhealthy relationship with food causes emotional stress through her entire life if left unchecked. KidsHealth.org, a division of the Nemours Foundation, points out that overweight children are at risk for substance abuse, another issue that could plague your child into adulthood, exacerbating many of the risks of being overweight.
Getting Help
Children don't always understand the repercussions of a sedentary lifestyle and poor relationship with food, so it's up to parents to set a good example and define how their families live and eat. Talk to your child about her health and what it means to her. Avoid making comments directly about her weight or appearance, as it could affect her self esteem. Instead, focus on overall health and changes that she can make on her own, such as joining a sports team or making healthier snacks as a family. If necessary, engage your child's doctor to help create a plan for natural and healthy weight loss to help reduce the stress of being overweight on your child's life and health.
References
- CDC; Obesity Rates Among All Children in the United States; April 2011
- KidsHealth.org; Overweight and Obesity; Mary L. Gavin; February 2009
- Weight-control Information Network: Helping Your Overweight Child
- American Heart Association; Overweight in Children; March 2011
- Office of the Surgeon General: Overweight in Children and Adolescents
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