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Overweight
and Obese Growing at Phenomenal Rates in the U.S.
The number of overweight and obese children in the United
States is growing at a phenomenal rate. On the whole, kids
are spending less time exercising and more time in front
of the TV, computer, or video game console. And today's
busy families have fewer free moments to prepare wholesome,
home-cooked meals, day in and day out. From fast food to
electronics, quick and easy seems to be the mindset of many
people, young and old, in the new millennium.
Since the 1960s, the number of overweight kids and adolescents
in the United States has nearly doubled. Today, 10% of 2-
to 5-year-olds and more than 15% of children between the
ages of 6 and 19 are overweight. And a whopping 31% of adults
are also obese. Studies indicate that overweight and obese
adolescents have up to an 80% chance of becoming overweight
and obese adults, especially if one or more parent has the
same condition.
Overcoming overweight and obesity in your own children means
adapting the way you and your family eat and exercise and
the way you spend time together. Ensuring that your children
lead a healthy lifestyle begins with you, the parent, and
leading by example.
Is Your Child Overweight or Obese? Although you may
think that your child is overweight or even obese, only
a doctor should make that determination (calculating your
child's body mass index, or BMI, can be a good indicator).
To determine BMI, the doctor divides the child's weight
by his or her height squared, or wt/ht2. (Important: To
use this formula for BMI, the child's weight and height
measurements must be in kilograms and meters, respectively.
If you use pounds and inches, multiply the result by the
conversion factor 703.) This calculation helps the doctor
determine whether the child's weight is appropriate for
height.
Children ranking higher than the 97th percentile for age
are considered obese. Kids with a BMI score between the
85th and 97th percentile are considered overweight or at
risk for becoming obese (or extremely overweight). And children
who fall between the 5th and 85th percentile are considered
normal weight.
For example, a 13-year-old boy who's an average 5 feet,
3 inches tall would rank as follows:
- Above 141 pounds = obese
- 124 -141 pounds = overweight
- 88 - 123 pounds = normal weight
- Below 88 pounds = underweight
There are exceptions, of course, like for those who are
very muscular (because extra muscle adds to a person's body
weight - but not fatness). It's important to remember that
BMI is usually a good indicator - but is not a direct measurement
- of body fat.
If you're worried that your child or teen may be overweight,
make an appointment with your family doctor to find out
for sure. Your doctor will need to evaluate your child not
only for obesity, but for the medical conditions that can
be associated with obesity (see below).
Before adopting any kind of diet or weight-loss plan, talk
to your child's doctor, who may refer you to a registered
dietitian or a weight management program. Depending on the
child's weight and age, the doctor or specialist may not
emphasize immediate weight loss but may focus, instead,
on decreasing the rate of weight gain as the child grows.
The Effects of Overweight and Obesity Not only are
overweight and obese children at risk for serious health
conditions like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and
high cholesterol - all once considered exclusively adult
issues - they're also prone to low self- esteem that stems
from being teased, bullied, or rejected by peers. Overweight
children are often the last to be chosen as playmates, even
as early as preschool. They may also be more likely than
average-weight children to develop unhealthy dieting habits
and eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia,
and they may be more prone to depression, as well as substance
abuse.
Being overweight or obese can be associated with medical
conditions that affect a child's present and future health
and have direct impact on quality of life:
- trouble with bones and joints
- shortness of breath that makes exercise, sports, or any
physical activity more difficult and may aggravate
the symptoms or increase the chances of developing asthma
- restless or disordered sleep patterns
- tendency to mature earlier (overweight kids may be taller
and more sexually mature than their peers; overweight
girls may enter puberty earlier, have irregular menstrual
cycles, excessive body hair growth, and may
experience potential fertility problems in adulthood)
- the presence of risk factors such as hypertension, lipid
problems, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes,
which can lead to the early development of cardiovascular
disease
- liver problems
- depression
Serious adult medical conditions like heart disease, heart
failure, stroke, and certain cancers can have their roots
in childhood. Preventing or treating obesity in children
may reduce the risk of developing these conditions as they
get older.
What Causes Obesity? There are a number of factors
that can cause obesity, either alone or together. If someone
becomes overweight or obese, genetic factors, lifestyle
habits, or both may be involved.
Much of what we eat is quick and easy - from fat-laden fast
food to microwave and prepackaged meals. Daily schedules
are so jam-packed that there's little time to prepare healthier
meals or to squeeze in some exercise. Portion sizes, in
the home and out, have drastically increased.
Plus, now, more than ever, life is sedentary - children
spend more time playing with electronic devices, from computers
to home video game systems, than actively playing outside.
Television is a major culprit.
Article Source: KidsHealth.org
Article Author: N/A
Net Reference 50
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