KAYLA MITCHELL Childhood Obesity

What is Obesity? Obesity is defined as having excess body fat Obesity is the result of “caloric imbalance”—too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed—and are affected by various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors

Signs/Symptoms Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Obese adolescents are more likely to have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels indicate a high risk for development of diabetes. Children and adolescents who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem.

Signs/Symptoms (Continued) Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk for many types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, thyroid, ovary, cervix, and prostate, as well as multiple myeloma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Shocking Facts About Obesity The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period.

Managing Obesity Helping children to overcome obesity includes getting them to be physically active and on a healthy eating plan. Areas to target:  Meal planning and nutritious eating habits  Increasing child’s daily activity level (suggesting they walk the dog or help with chores)  Increasing interest in outdoor activities and hobbies (joining in on fun activities diverts attention from food)  Building a positive self-image in children

Managing Obesity (Continued) To achieve long-term weight management, it is important to make sure children are thriving in all aspects of their well-being (physical, emotional, spiritual, and social)

Teaching/Support Modifications To deal with childhood obesity in a classroom setting, modeling good behavior becomes the focus. Obese children don’t need learning modifications for their illness. To stress the importance of modeling healthy and nutritious eating habits in the classroom, the CDC’s site for childhood obesity says,  “Schools play a particularly critical role by establishing a safe and supportive environment with policies and practices that support healthy behaviors. Schools also provide opportunities for students to learn about and practice healthy eating and physical activity behaviors.”

Addressing Obesity Professionally As an early childcare professional, I would address obesity with care. I would be implementing healthy dietary habits into the everyday learning. It would be important for me to talk to children on a constant basis about the proper foods to eat and the benefits of eating these things. I would also make a point to show children how important and fun physical activity is in everyday life.

Addressing Obesity Professionally To try to get parents involved in teaching healthy fitness and eating habits, I would be sending home brochures letting them know the practices we have been learning in class, including their importance in the lives of children and adults. I would also include the activities we do as a group to stay physically active so they can try the same at home.

Video About Obesity

Sources Text book pages72,74