Childhood obesity is more prevalent today than ever before. In America, approximately 17 percent — 12.7 million children — ages 2 to 19 years old are considered obese (That’s when a child weighs well above the average weight for his or her age and height). Obesity is the result of a caloric imbalance, meaning not enough calories were burned to offset the amount of calories consumed. Overeating or a lack of physical activity lead in that direction.
There are multiple causes and factors that contribute to obesity, many of which are the same for children and adults. The most common ones stem from genetic, behavioral, social, psychological, technological, environmental, economic and cultural issues. They create habits that can be formed at a young age and may stick with an individual throughout life unless a change is taken.
Factors to consider:
• The American lifestyle is faster than ever before. Society wants things that are convenient and immediate. However, foods that are convenient and immediate tend to be the worst for us by being high in calories, sugar, salt and fat while low in nutrients. According to the Centers for Disease Control, these unhealthy foods tend to be marketed heavily to children and adolescents.
• The distortion or misconception Americans have in regard to serving sizes is another factor; typical portions we receive are much larger than a recommended serving size. Because of this, children are more likely to overeat.
• Healthier foods tend to be less convenient and are often more expensive than junk food. Because of this, children who come from low-income families tend to be at a higher risk of being overweight or obese because the family does not have the time or resources to make eating healthy and physical activity a priority.
Causes due to lifestyle can manifest themselves in many ways. When children sit down at the dinner table or in the kitchen with the family for a meal they are less likely to become obese than children who eat on the go and at irregular times. Children who grow up in hostile environments or with parents who have restrictive eating guidelines tend to be more prone to developing poor habits in terms of self-regulating eating habits.
Surrounded by TV, computers and video games, children aren’t getting nearly enough of the physical activity that is needed to try to offset any overconsumption or high caloric intake. A child needs to get at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day or more. Limiting the amount of time a child spends in front of a screen can help.
The increase in obese children and teens is concerning because it has led to an onset of health problems that typically aren’t seen until adulthood. Childhood obesity has both an immediate and long-term effect on the body. Some of the immediate health problems a child may face are risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure, more likely to be at risk for prediabetes, asthma, as well as social and psychological issues such as low self-esteem or depression.
Obese children run the risk of being obese adults and can be exposed a higher risk of more severe health problems such as stroke, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, several types of cancer and more. According to the American Heart Association, obese children are twice as likely to die before age 55 than their slimmer peers. All of these long-term health problems are preventable.
If a child is at risk for becoming overweight or obese, it’s important to seek guidance from a health care professional. Any changes made to a child’s diet need to be made in a healthy, gradual and maintainable fashion. By doing this, it’s more likely these changes will become permanent changes in eating and physical activity rather than short-term unmaintainable changes.
Teach children about healthy habits. This can involve the entire family. Make eating healthy fun and interactive for children by involving them in the preparation and decision making process or creating fun shapes and designs out of the food. Cook and prepare food at home rather than going out to eat. Having children involved helps get them engaged and make healthy habits appear as less of a chore and more as something they want to do. By teaching children healthy habits at an early age, the more likely these habits are to carryover with them throughout their life and help reduce the onset of childhood obesity.