Childhood Obesity
It is a sad fact but the population in North America is growing, not only in terms of numbers, but in terms of their girth. Obesity levels among adults are at the highest they have ever been, putting a huge strain not only on the individual’s health, but also on the entire health care system. Even sadder still is that more and more children are suffering from obesity, a figure that was recently put at least one in five children in the U.S. Based on the Body Mass Index, which takes into consideration height and weight, an obese child is one whose weight is 20% higher than that of an average, healthy weight individual of the same age.
Some of the reasons for this jump in the number of obese kids are obvious and apply just as much to adults as they do children. Rather than being hereditary or genetic, one of the biggest factors in obesity is the combination of our sedentary lifestyle and increased intake of unhealthy, high fat food. This is truer now than ever before and ironically enough, the cases of obesity have risen along with the popularity of ‘quick fix’ diets and weight loss products. In other words, many of us want to lose weight we just don’t want to have to work too hard at it and it is this attitude that can unfortunately influence our children. In fact it is the parent’s general approach and attitude towards healthy living that contributes in a major way to whether a child is overweight or not, and as a parent, he or she must take responsibility for not only educating their child about nutrition and exercise, but first educate themselves. For example, if a child sees their parents sitting on the couch every evening or snacking on chips etc. they are hardly going to listen to their advice when it comes to healthy eating! Unfortunately, for many children, the damage can be done at an even earlier age for studies have shown that not only do prolonged breastfeeding and the delaying of solid food to the diet reduce the risk of childhood obesity, but an overweight mother will often produce an overweight baby.
There is no doubt that in addition to the influence from the parent, the media surrounding our children does very little to encourage healthy habits. Children are generally more likely to be found playing video games rather than playing outside in the fresh air (although the introduction of certain sports video games has made them somewhat more physical) and food products aimed specifically at the younger consumer are often overloaded with sugar and fat, sometimes even under the guise as being a healthier choice, as is the case with many breakfast cereals.
As a parent or caregiver, it is more important now than it ever was to ensure that we set good example to our kids, and, if the child is already suffering from obesity, do everything we can to help them get to a healthy weight, and deal with some of the more damaging psychological problems that can be associated with the condition, particularly in the form of teasing at school and low-self esteem issues. Encouraging your child to make healthy choices in all areas of his or her life is important, whether it is making subtle food substitutions in their favourite meals, learning a new sport or activity together and talking about the many benefits of living at healthy body weight and more importantly, one that is right for them as an individual.
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