Obesity

America's Dangerous Epidemic

Did you know that obesity related diseases kill more Americans yearly than AIDS, all cancers, and all accidents together?  This is frightening.

 

Too many of us are overweight, just look around.  By looking at people at parks, sporting events, shopping malls, and schools we can see just how widespread the problem is.  Our society makes it difficult not to become obese, we stop for gas and drop in to the food mart for a fattening treat.  At the grocery, a package of 12 snack cakes cost less than 2 oranges. It’s much faster and easier to go through the drive through at a fast food restaurant than make dinner at home.  We bring these home for our children and we eat them ourselves. 

 

Let’s get scientific.  In the last two decades the prevalence of children who are obese has doubled and tripled for adolescents. 31.9% of children and adolescents are overweight. 16.3% are obese. Medically, we measure obesity by BMI (body mass index) percentiles. We do this by calculating an equation using a person's height and weight related to age and gender. A BMI less than the 85th percentile is considered healthy. BMI's from 85% to 95% are classified as overweight. Anything greater than 95% is classified as obese.

 

Obesity causes serious health problems. The main ones are high cholesterol with lipid deposits in the arteries; hyper-insulinism and insulin resistance leading to type 2 diabetes; asthma; skin infections;  liver degeneration; gall-stones; menstrual abnormalities and difficulty conceiving.  Also, people with high BMI’s have more injuries from falls and all the emotional and psychological problems seen with self-esteem issues.

 

In the medical field we follow BMI percentiles yearly.  BMI’s that are greater than 99% lead to medical intervention, including psychological and pharmacological treatments and even bariatric surgery in children, adolescents and adults. 

 

If we are going to stop this epidemic we have to change our lifestyles.  This means we will need to become more educated about the foods we are putting into our bodies.  We need to stop drinking sugared drinks; begin reading food labels, and make better choices at fast food restaurants.  We need to begin preparing and eating more healthy meals at home.  Switch to low-fat dairy, eat lots of fruit and vegetables and high fiber grains. 

Obesity Prevention in Childhood

Are you one of the millions of parents who worry about whether your child will become obese?  Well, you can avoid this problem with general good health habits that start when children are young. 

 

Most infants and young children eat when they are hungry and stop when they are full.  Parents can prevent children from over-eating by using a simple set of rules:

 

• Plan, prepare and provide a healthy, balanced meal three times a day and small balanced snacks 1-2 times a day. A child’s job is to choose to eat from the variety and quantity you have provided  
• Minimize junk food (sweets, foods high in fat and sugary beverages) to no more than two times a week on a regular basis  
• Make junk a special treat that a family can enjoy together on the weekends  
• Eat together as a family as often as possible and enjoy each other’s company

 

Children in this country are not active enough!  Remember when you were young and you played outside all the time, even in cold weather?  Kids need between two and four hours of physical activity a day to stay healthy.  Of course we want this to be fun for them so find what works for your kids.  Schools do not provide enough time for kids to play so make sure you give them plenty of opportunity to do it at home.  Simple things like bike riding, skating, jumping rope, hula-hoop, hop scotch, basketball or even tag are things they can do outside.  Inside activities can include dancing, tumbling, playing chase, hula-hoop, and a few interactive video games that require a lot of movement. Screen time should be limited to less than 2 hours a day and should be allowed only after physical activity has occurred. Make sure you are “playing” with them, since you need it too!

 

Remember, incorporating good nutrition and play as routine at home will lead to a healthy and happy child.  Set a good example and be consistent.

 

Limiting Screen Time

These days more than any time in our history, it seems children want to spend their free time in front of a screen. Television, video games, and computers are all outlets that provide children with this opportunity. As parents it is crucial that we set limits on the time our children spend involved in these activities, no matter how difficult this task may sometimes seem.

 

Studies have shown that the average child spends more than 5000 hours in front of a screen by the time he/she enters first grade. By graduation many children have spent more time in front of a screen than in a classroom.

 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time until age two and less than two hours per day thereafter. Clearly the obesity epidemic in children is partly due to screen time and the loss of physical activity that comes with it.

 

Parents need to monitor not only the amount of time their children spend in front of the screen, but also the content. Many television shows, video games and computer games often contain inappropriate material for kids. For this reason it is crucial for parents to monitor what their kids view and watch the programs with their children to properly discuss the content.

 

We would recommend that children never have a TV or computer in their room. It makes it too difficult to properly supervise these activities. Also, parents should serve as role models by limiting the amount of screen time they spend in front of their children.

 

Ideally much of the time spent in front of the screen could be spent just talking with our kids, getting physical exercise, playing games, going to a park, reading a book, learning to play an instrument or finding another hobby.

 

Resources

Resources to help fight childhood obesity can be found through several of our links. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta has wonderful programs including “Fit Kids.” For information about this and other programs, call 404-250-KIDS or visit their website. A DVD called “Max’s Magical Delivery: Fit for Kids” is a 30 minute interactive  program designed for parents and children 5-9 years that shows ways to incorporate physical activity and healthy food into daily routine life. It is available from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Publications Clearinghouse by calling 800-358-9295 or by visiting http//ww.ahrq.gov/child.