Childhood Obesity

The topic that I chose to blog about this week discussed the issues of childhood obesity. In today’s society, nearly one in three children are obese. Childhood obesity is determined based on their Body Mass Index (BMI). To determine what a child’s BMI is, you need to measure their height, weight, and age. There are many systems that will calculate BMI when you enter this information in. You can also take your child to a health care clinic where they will have the proper equipment and tools to be able to determine BMI. Usually, a child is considered obese if they exceed the “normal” BMI for their certain percentile.  

When a person is obese, there are often many health risks and issues that arise. Problems such as high blood pressure, cancer, diabetes, and breathing problems can all occur due to physical strain that the excess weight puts on a person’s body.

There are many reasons to blame childhood obesity on. First, sometimes weight problems can be genetic. If your parents have bad genes and transfer the genes onto the child, he or she is more likely to be overweight. Often times, children pick up the habits of their parents.  If a child’s parents have poor eating habits, then it is likely that the child does as well because most likely the child is eating whatever the parent is since most children don’t cook.

 Lack of physical activity such as exercise is another problem as to why more and more children are obese. With the increase in technology, more kids are staying inside and playing on the computer or their Playstations than ever before. I remember when I was a kids and growing up, we never used any of these things. I, along with the rest of the kids in my neighborhood, was constantly outside playing games and sports. We were always running around and getting exercise without even knowing it. In today’s society, it is rare that children play outside with all of their cool technological games that don’t require kids to get up off the couch.

Another reason for children being overweight is the way that they eat. Many parents don’t have the time to pack their child a lunch every day for school so they give them money instead. The standards at the school cafeterias are very poor; often times they are filled with greasy, fatty, and fried foods such as fries, burgers, cheesy sticks, etc. When the child can only choose from these unhealthy options, they are more likely to become obese. Making these food choices is also teaching them to eat like this on a regular basis and it becomes a habit outside of school too.

The article that I read discussed how,  “Families who have 5 or more meals together have children who are about 25% less likely to encounter nutritional health issues than children who eat less than or equal to one meal with their families” (WebMD).  I believe this to be true because when families have meals together, the parents can monitor what kinds of foods the child is consuming, what time of the night they are consuming food, and how much food they are eating. Proportions are a big issue with weight problems. Often times, Americans overeat without realizing it. When families eat together, the meals are consumed in a slower manner because everyone isn’t rushing to just quickly eat something and be done; they are taking their time and enjoying each other’s company. When I was in high school and living at home, my mom tried to make sure we had family dinner every day. She would cook extremely healthy food (we always had some type of meat with vegetables and a salad). I would complain when I was younger, but looking back on it, I am extremely healthy today and eat very similarly to how she cooked. I make sure to incorporate vegetables and fruits into my diet on a regular basis.

 I was fortunate to not be overweight as a child because I ate properly and my parents encouraged me to play sports to keep in shape. I think that it is mainly the responsibility of the parents to make sure your child is healthy and continuously exercises.

The good news is, once you are diagnosed as obese, it is not necessarily a permanent diagnosis. It is up to you to change your eating habits and exercise. You can shed the excess weight and get back to a normal weight. This will help reduce your risk of medical problems that could occur in the future and will help you to be an overall healthier person.  

http://children.webmd.com/preventing-childhood-obesity

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20110502/family-meals-help-cut-risk-of-childhood-obesity

http://www.webmd.com/cholesterol-management/health-risks