Along with the increase of obesity in adult childhood obesity is on the rise. Around 15.5 percent of adolescents in the United States aged 12 to 19 are obese. Even more alarming about 15.3 percent of children ages 6 to 11 are obese. These children are developing Type II Diabetes and high blood pressure at an early age. They are placing themselves at increased risk for heart disease and other obesity-related diseases. Their weight also makes them the target of bullies and children who insult and taunt them about their weight. This can ruin their self-esteem and put them at risk for depression.
Today’s children make up the digital generation. They’ve been surrounded by computers their entire life and are not as physically active as children of past generations were. Instead of going outside and playing they tend to hang out indoors watching TV and playing computer and video games. Along with lack of physical activity comes the convenience of fast food. There are fast food restaurants virtually around every corner and they have easy access to snack foods full of saturated fats and sugars. In addition obese parents are more likely to have obese children. The reason for this is two-fold. First obese parents probably pass down their poor habits to their children. Second genetics plays a role in obesity.
It’s important for parents to be role models to their children and emphasize the importance of physical activity and healthy eating. Parents can create healthy environments for their children by doing regular physical activities such as biking swimming or walking together. They should encourage their children to participate in sports dance martial arts and etcetera. This allows children to develop an appreciation of physical activity and enjoy exercising.
When it comes to eating parents need to implement diets rich in fruits vegetables and whole-grains. They can make eating enjoyable and healthy by preparing food together and eating together as a family. Fast-food should be limited and reserved for special occasions. Way too often we reward ourselves for a job well done with food. Look for other ways to reward your children for doing a great job such as a special shopping trip or a day with just mom or dad.
About the Author Article by Beverley Brooke
Visit http://www.healthandfinesse.com for on childhood obesity
Not long ago my neighbor took her 6 year old son to his pediatrician for a routine examination. After which she was shocked to learn that the twenty pounds he had gained in the past year placed him on the charts as obese. Her son had always been "stocky" but he had always experienced growth spurts that seemed to keep him within the normal ranges of other children his age. Why didn't my neighbor recognize her child was obese? Because oddly enough "Obesity tends to be in the eye of the beholder." Many parents are simply in denial especially when the overweight child is very young. Parents often overlook their child's weight problem by believing it is something they will outgrow.
The seriousness of obesity in children has led to many government studies. One such study in 2002 indicated that 15 percent of children between the ages of 6 - 19 are dangerously overweight. A more recent study done in January 2004 indicated that 31 percent of teenage girls and 28 percent of teenage boys are somewhat overweight but "an additional 15 percent of teenage girls and 14 percent of teenage boys are obese. How is it determined that someone is obese? The numbers here vary by source but to give you a general range if a child weighs more than 20 percent above the expected weight for their age height and body build they are considered to be obese.
As these numbers continue to grow at an alarming rate we might ask ourselves "what is causing our children to become obese" and "why is it on the rise"? There is no one cause for obesity but several factors stood out as being notably different today than in any other time. Today we live in a "fast food" "convenience food" world and very few people can say that their eating habits are not affected. Our children live a much more sedentary lifestyle than generations before them. It was also interesting to note the biological link between stress and the drive to eat. Comfort foods that are readily available seem to calm the body's response to chronic stress. "In addition hormones produced when one is under stress encourage the formation of fat cells." ...
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