Childhood Obesity Facts

This information  on Childhood Obesity Facts was originally published by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, GA.  The italicized sections were taken directly from the article.

The original article can be accessed by clicking this link.

• Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years.


• The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in 2008. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period.


• In 2008, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.^1,2


• Overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors.³ Obesity is defined as having excess body fat.⁴


• Overweight and obesity are 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.^5,6

Our children are the first generation in history that is expected to live a shorter lifespan than their parents. Below I will share more information from the article. Children are being set up by our fast food culture fueled by mainstream media, for lifelong health problems. This is not just a family issue. Childhood obesity is a societal issue that has profound implications for our country as we move further into the 21st century. Studies have shown a correlation between obesity in children and everything from lower IQ to higher risk of cancer.

We are not setting our children up for success when we allow fried food in schools and vending machines filled with candy and soda in cafeterias. Marketing on TV is insane, leading children to believe that Fruity Pebbles cereal is healthy because it has Fruit!

More from the CDC article.

Health Effects of Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity has both immediate and long-term effects on health and well-being.

Immediate health effects:

• Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. In a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, 70% of obese youth had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.⁷


• Obese adolescents are more likely to have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels indicate a high risk for development of diabetes.^8,9


• 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.^5,6,10

Long-term health effects:

• Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults^11-14 and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.⁶  One study showed that children who became obese as early as age 2 were more likely to be obese as adults.¹²


• 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.¹⁵

Prevention

• Healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese and developing related diseases.⁶


• The dietary and physical activity behaviors of children and adolescents are influenced by many sectors of society, including families, communities, schools, child care settings, medical care providers, faith-based institutions, government agencies, the media, and the food and beverage industries and entertainment industries.


• 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.

Childhood obesity facts must change! It has to begin  both in the home and in the government. Free enterprise does not have a right to punish and damage our nation’s children. What do you think?

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Obesity in Children is Threat to Health and Economy

San Francisco Chronicle reported the following article.  The article highlights how crucial it is to address the obesity epidemic in children and adults in the United Stated. Obesity in children is a threat to health and the economy

Read the original article here

Former President Bill Clinton  says there are economic and humanitarian reasons to combat childhood obesity

Clinton spoke in Little Rock on Sunday at a national forum on childhood obesity and said staying healthy would help Americans have more money in their pockets.

Clinton says U.S. residents spend almost 18 percent of their income on health care and that making healthy choices would drive that number down.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that obesity rates in children have nearly tripled since 1980, with more than 20 percent obese and more than one-third of children overweight.

Clinton’s foundation and the American Heart Association  founded the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, which in 2006 launched the Healthy Schools Program to provide training and educational resources to schools.

There is a genuine and serious concern among the health care community that childhood obesity is creating a generation of children that will not live as long as their parents. Obesity in childhood sets children up for a host of chronic diseases that will plague them and ultimately shorten their lives. These include, diabetes, heart issues, blood pressure issues and cancer. Unhealthy children grow into unhealthy adults who cannot contribute to the economy and drain resources of their communities and their families.

Starting in childhood is crucial to addressing the obesity epidemic. Even children can benefit from a healthy eating program like the Body By Vi Challenge, adjusted for children.

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