Childhood Obesity Facts

It is very important for you to understand childhood obesity facts to be able to help your children in battling this disease. Yes, it is a disease with serious complications and consequences.

The number of obese or overweight children have doubled over the last thirty years in United States and increased greatly around the world. Childhood obesity is out of control and we are already speaking of aworldwide epidemic with serious health consequences.

Childhood obesity occurs when children eat more calories than their bodies burn up. Carrying a few extra kilos or pounds does not mean you must be alarmed, but that you may want to help your child with a change in their diet and physical activity / exercise.

Overweight children have an increased risk of being overweight as adults. Hence the prevention and management of obesity in children is extremely important. 

 

Childhood Obesity Facts – Some Statistics:

• Obesity and its related complications cost approximately $100 billionto United States, with roughly 25% of children obese or overweight.

• Children who are more than 20 percent above the ideal weight for their particular height and age are considered obese.

• If one parent is obese, there is a 50 percent chance that the children will also be obese.  However, when both parents are obese, the children have an 80 percent chance of being obese.

• Approximately 70% of overweight or obese children maintain their obesity problem even during their adulthood.

• Less than 1 percent of all obesity is caused by physical problems. 

Contributors of Childhood Obesity:

• Genetics.

• Socio-demographics- certain socioeconomic populations and minorities are at more risk of developing obesity.

• Behavior- nutrition, physical activity and screen time.

• Environment- home, school, community and childcare settings.

• Biological and cultural factors. 

Health Complications:

Childhood obesity sufferers are at increased risk for several health complications such as:

• Type-2 diabetes

• High blood pressure

• High cholesterol

• Dyslipidemia

• Heart disease

• Sleep apnea- breathing problem while sleeping which can lead to difficulty in memory and learning

• Orthopedic problems

• Cancer

• Asthma

• Gall bladder disease

• Osteoarthritis

• Liver disease 

Childhood Obesity is Caused by:

• Bad eating habits, overeating or binging.

• Lack of physical activity and spending too much time in front of TV and playing computer games.

• Certain illnesses and medications.

• Depression and other emotional problems.

• Family history of obesity.

• Low self esteem.

How Can You Help Your Kids?

• Sedentary leisure time pursuits– TV and computer games are now widely available to children and are contributing to increasing levels of obesity. It is essential to encourage overweight children to get out and be more active.

• Children or teenagers with weight problems tend to have lower self-esteem and obesity is linked with increased risk of emotional problems such as depression and anxiety. Overweight kids have problems fitting in with other kids and they are often excluded from games and bullied simply because they are carrying extra weight.

• It is mainly up to the parents of overweight children to provide them with the emotional support they need, to accept them for who they are, to listen to their problems and to help them overcome these problems. These children need your love and encouragement, regardless of their weight.

• Obesity often affects more than one person in the family, so try and make healthy eating and regular exercise a family activity to improve the chances of your child and whoever is affected in the family.

 

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