Childhood Obesity Problems, Causes & Solutions by ONG against childhood obesity

A Growing Crisis “In the past three decades, the number of overweight children has more than doubled, with most of the increases occurring during the past ten years.”

I Don’t Want to Grow Up 25% of children who are obese at age 6 will be obese as an adult 75% of children who are obese at age 12 will be obese as an adult

Physical Consequences Type 2 Diabetes Orthopedic complications Hypertension

Social Difficulties Obese children… – are stereotyped as “unhealthy, academically unsuccessful & lazy” – may be verbally abused by other children – can become excluded from being a part of social groups and/or other activities

Psychological Problems Discrimination can cause a negative self- image and poor self-esteem Sadness can occur, which can lead to depression Loneliness Eating disorders

People who are obese or overweight also have a lower life expectancy

How to Tell If Your Child is Overweight or Obese

Indicators Growth Chart – height and weight can be compared and plotted Skin fold thickness – measured at the triceps with a caliper that pinches the skin and together and will be higher in obese children BMI (Body Mass Index) – is best measurement to take because it is age and gender specific

What is BMI? BMI is used to identify overweight and obesity in children BMI = weight (kg)/height (m)² For children, BMI is age and gender specific and is consistent with adult index, so it can be used continuously from two years of age to adulthood

What are the Causes?

The Family Atmosphere According to the American Obesity Association, parents are the most important role models for children. Obesity tends to run in families – Eating patterns play a role Children of active parents are six times more likely to be physically active than kids whose parents are sedentary

Television & Nutrition Commercials feature many junk foods that promote weight gain – fast food, soft drinks, sweets and sugar- sweetened breakfast cereals Children seem to passively consume excessive amounts of energy-dense foods while watching TV

Pick-up or Delivery? Today, families eat fewer meals together and fewer meals at home – Children tend to eat more food when meals are eaten at a restaurant – Plenty of children eat fast food on a regular basis – Take-out food like pizza or chinese is also popular

Simple Solutions

Keys to Preventing Obesity Teaching healthy behaviors at a young age is important since change becomes more difficult with age Education in physical activity and nutrition are the cornerstones of preventing childhood obesity Schools and families are the two most critical links to decreasing the prevalence of childhood obesity

Parent’s role in Prevention Create an active environment – Limit amount of TV watching – Plan active family trips such as hiking or skiing – Enroll children in a structured activity that they enjoy – Create a healthy eating environment

Like you win weight, you can lose it … THE END