Many children are spending less time exercising and more time in front of the television, computer, or the video-game console. The computer gaming industry has today become bigger than the music and movie industries
OVER THE past 10 years there have been dramatic changes in the diet and lifestyle patterns of people. Such modifiable factors are the biggest culprits in the alarming rise of childhood obesity.
Many kids are spending less time exercising and more time in front of the television, computer, or video-game console. The computer gaming industry has today become bigger than the music and movie industries. Computer games are gaining unprecedented access to the homes, minds and souls of people today.
And today's busy families have fewer free moments to prepare nutritious, home-cooked meals. From fast food to electronics, quick and easy is the reality for many people in the new millennium.
The percentage of overweight children is growing at an alarming rate, with one out of five kids now considered overweight or obese.
Over the last 10 years, the rate of obesity has doubled for children age’s six to 11 and has tripled for teens. Today about ten per cent of two to five year-olds and fifteen per cent of six to nineteen year olds are overweight.
The Academy of Pediatrics described the rise in childhood obesity as an “unprecedented burden” on children’s health.
The negative health consequences of the obese children’s are both physical and emotional. Obesity in childhood has been associated with pediatric hypertension, type II diabetes mellitus, increases the risk of coronary heart disease, sleep apnea, lower self esteem, psychosocial and orthopedic problems. Overweight teens have a seventy percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults. Some authorities feel that social and psychological problems are the most significant consequences of obesity in children.
The Physical risk indicators that were previously not seen until adulthood are beginning to show up in childhood. The primary effect of obesity is a much greater risk of developing heart disease later on in life. According to an article published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, the arteries of overweight children act like those of middle-aged smokers, increasing their risk of an early heart attack or stroke. One study found that obese children are three to five times more likely than normal-weight children to suffer a heart attack or stroke before age sixty five.
Obesity in children and adolescents is a serious issue with many health and social consequences that often continue into adulthood. Implementing prevention programmes and getting a better understanding of treatment for youngsters is important to controlling the obesity epidemic.
Many parents are rightly concerned about their child's weight and how it affects them. They look for specific answers for prevention and treatment options
Obesity treatment programmes for children and adolescents rarely have weight loss as a goal. Rather, the aim is to slow or halt weight gain so the child will grow into his or her body weight over a period of months to years. Dietz (1983) estimates that for every 20 per cent excess of ideal body weight, the child will need one and one-half years of weight maintenance to attain ideal body weight.
Obesity is easier to prevent than to treat, and prevention focuses in large measure on parent education. In infancy, parent education should center on promotion of breastfeeding, recognition of signals of satiety, and delayed introduction of solid foods. In early childhood, education should include proper nutrition, selection of low-fat snacks, good exercise/activity habits, and monitoring of television viewing. In cases where preventive measures cannot totally overcome the influence of hereditary factors, parent education should focus on building self-esteem and address psychological issues.
One should remember that obesity is a family event, not an individual event. Some people within the family may be more prone to gaining weight, while others might seem to stay slim no matter what they eat, but to support a child in achieving a healthy weight, the entire family may need to change its ways. Healthy eating, regular exercise, and other good habits will bring about positive results for everyone.
Always remember that our attitude matters greatly in whether our child succeeds in reversing a weight problem. Let our child know that he or she is loved and appreciated regardless of the progress made in losing weight.
