Childhood obesity is an epidemic with many causes. One of the biggest challenges facing families and schools is providing children with high-quality, energy-dense food at each meal and stemming the tide against the high-calorie, high-fat foods that children eat too much of today. American children get most of their daily calories from foods such as desserts, pizza and soda. They snack now more than ever, too. Viewing children's caloric intake trends in light of reduced physical activity makes it clear how obesity rates got this way.
Childhood Obesity in the United States
One in three children in the United States has a weight problem, says the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that a full 12.5 million children ages 2 to 19 are classified as obese. An obese child is likely to become an obese adult, which puts him at risk for serious health problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. Obesity means having too much body fat, and one of the biggest -- but not the only -- contributors to body fat is calorie consumption. Put simply, children are eating and drinking too much. In addition, their food choices center too much on high-calorie, high-fat and unhealthy items.
Soda and Soft Drinks
Soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages rank as the third largest calorie suppliers to American children, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010. Public health authorities discourage soft drinks for several reasons. Although they provide large amounts of calories, liquid calories don't satisfy the same way food does. As a consequence, children who drink soda tend to consume more calories overall throughout the day. It takes only a slight excess in calories consumed daily over time to produce excess weight and obesity. Fruit juices are included in this category. They provide calories but not the fiber found in the fruit. Fiber is naturally satiating, and the whole fruit provides more nutrients than drinks.
Snacks
Grain-based desserts are the No. 1 calorie supplier to Americans ages 2 to 18. Pizza is No. 2. Two University of North Carolina researchers recently examined national food surveys and found that American children are snacking more than ever. Most children now snack at least three times per day. The researchers estimate in the March 2010 issue of "Health Affairs" that more than 27 percent of children's total calories come from snacks. Ninety-eight percent of all children snack, with the greatest increases in snacking among younger children ages 2 to 6. Moreover, calories from snacks have increased with growing portion sizes. However, energy density -- or the amount of healthful nutrients relative to calories -- has gone down. The researchers say salty snacks and candy have seen the largest increases in consumption.
Access
Proximity and availability are two often-overlooked factors contributing to growing calorie consumption and obesity among children. Many children eat more food away from home. Often, they are closest to and have enough money for fast-food restaurants and corner stores. With the frenetic pace of home life, dinner at the drive-through is becoming a more prevalent feature of American life. Moreover, some families generally have limited access to affordable healthy foods. Especially in dense, urban and some rural areas where grocery stores are sparse, obesity among children tends to be higher, says the CDC.
References
- "Health Affairs"; Trends In Snacking Among U.S. Children; Carmen Piernas and Barry M. Popkin; March 2010
- CDC: Obesity Rates among All Children in the United States
- CDC: A Growing Problem, What Causes Childhood Obesity?
- USDA: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
- White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity; Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity within a Generation; May 2010
- "NIH Research Matters"; Where Children Get Their Empty Calories; Oct. 25, 2010
- "The Future of Children"; Childhood Obesity; Spring 2006
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