Childhood Obesity
Childhood Obesity in the US
Without going into a lot of statistics regarding Childhood Obesity in the US and elsewhere on this unfair planet where half of the people suffer from the “too much desease” and half starve and die from the “too little disease”, we know that the number of overweight and obese children has increased dramatically, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention it has tripled since 1980… and it doesn’t stop! More and more kids are at risk of becoming overweight.
Starving Kids ./. Childhood Obesity
It’s like a viscious circle: from obese child to overweight adolescent… and from there chances are big – an exact 70% according to official numbers – that this leads to an obese adult, especially if one or more parent is or has been overweight.
Interestingly, while the highest prevalence of obesity among boys is observed in Hispanics, its among African Americans for the girls.
Childhood Obesity in the US has become a huge burden for the State as obesity-related annual hospital costs for children have literally exploded and continue to do so in a steep upward spiral.
Given the fact that our children represent our continuity as a human race and our socio-economic future largely depends on their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, this Child Obesity epidemic is totally alarming and needs fast, efficient and lasting solutions.
One’s got to get to the root of the problem!
Experts on Child Obesity in the US agree that inactivity and poor eating habits contribute to obesity. The fact however is that “… while national guidelines recommend 150 minutes of physical activity each week for elementary children and 225 minutes for older children, only Illinois has a statewide requirement for daily physical education.”
Of course, this is a prime responsibility for parents, however, here’s where the State should intervene and offer wise support and assistance through official channels especially when parents simply don’t care.
So what should be looked into first and foremost?
Nutrition and Exercise!
Healthy Eating for Kids
With our hectic lifestyle and both parents working in most cases to cover the cost of living, less and less children get a freshly cooked and balanced meal each day as was just normal for me as a child and as is normal with many families I know today . . . but the fact is that for the majority today it’s all about quick and easy and instant satisfaction… and that means Fast Food.
US kids – and not only those – have become a ‘Fast Food Generation’; in the US around one-third of Children between the ages of 4 and 19 eat fast food every day.
Every day!
This means these children firstly get no healthy nutrition into their young bodies to grow properly, optimize their health and boost their immune system, it also means that each child picks up a minimum of 6 additional pounds a year – now do the simple maths.
And it’s not a matter of money either as we can sustain good health with simple, basic nutrition.
It’s a matter of upbringing, education and discipline – firstly for the parents to prepare and then insist on this important meal a day – and for the kids. If done right from the beginning, this will just be ‘the normal way’… and improved health and a healthy and age-appropriate weight will follow as the result – excluding those cases where diseases or health factors like hormonal imbalances or problems with the thyroid come into play and may cause Childhood Obesity.
Healthy Activity
So what’s Healthy Eating and how does it affect Weight Loss for Children?
The prime objective should be to get the child active – our next chapter.
For this we need to provide it with a sensible amount of fresh foods and nutrients, the quality of which never changes while the quantity depends on age, gender and activity.
Most importantly, provide it with sufficient good fluids (no cool drinks and cokes… rather fruit juices and good, pure water) and a healthy balanced diet of calories from carbohydrates (eg. cereals,bread,cereal,rice and pasta); some proteins (eg. meat, poultry, fish, dry beans), dairy products (eg. milk and yoghurt), and plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and yes, it also needs fats and oils.
If the body gets what it needs to function properly regularly, it will be satisfied and not tormented by hunger pangs that then lead to getting the quick fix pie or chocolate or even worse: salty chips and a coke! That ‘mode’ just leads to ‘more’ – more calories and more weight – unstoppable and scientifically researched and proven.
Do the maths and you will find that at the end of the day the ‘fast food route’ is much more costly – not to speak of the future health cost avalanche in connection with obesity-related diseases (eg. diabetes, cardiovascular disease)
However, it needs spending time and focus for your child and its wellbeing.
In my view your child deserves exactly that!
Exercise for Obese Children
Again, it’s the parents’ responsibility to see to it that their child gets sufficient exercise – and adequate exercise – depending on the age and the stages of development of bones and muscles.
Due to faster breathing, the heart beats faster during aerobic exercise. When done regularly, this aerobic activity strengthens the heart and improves the body’s ability to deliver oxygen to all its cells. Such exercises include lots of ‘fun stuff’ like basketball, swimming, running, tennis, soccer, cycling to name just a few.
Fun should be part of it all – always!
In my view the ‘play character’ is most important when it comes to exercising – and I loved these as a child and I still do! Done from moderately to vigorously, it not only covers all essential physical movements from flexibility to reaction, strength to endurance, stretches and more… in a very natural way, but it also has a mind and character forming aspect that is so important for building self-confidence and courage for the later years when these young children are facing the ‘real’ life out there.
Childhood Obesity has become an epidemic – not only but largely due to the fact that children are less active today than when they had to go outside to play… Today’s children sit down to play far too often and too long … in front of the TV or the PC that is.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average child is watching about 3 hours of television a day. And the average kid spends 5½ hours on all screen media combined (TV, videos and DVDs, computer time outside of schoolwork, and video games).
Healthy Karate Kids ./. Child Obesity
While it may not be easy, parents should try to limit the amount of time spent in sedentary activities, especially watching TV or playing video games. Toddlers don’t belong in front of the TV at all, and children should not watch the screen for longer than 1 -2 hours of quality programs a day.
It is really important that young children are never inactive for prolonged periods of time — no more than 1 hour unless they’re sleeping. School-age children should not be inactive for periods longer than 2 hours.
Exercise for Obese Children requires the parent to engage in the activities the child undertakes – to support and to act as a positive role model.
The more Fun it is the closer the relationship – parent and child – , the easier the weight disappears and the healthier the body develops. Healthy Eating and daily physical activities will simply become a Lifestyle – and the foundation for a healthy future.
More Nutrinsider News to follow soon !
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