Childhood Obesity

Child Obesity

Obesity in childhood and adolescence appears to track into adulthood, increasing the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and certain cancers in adulthood. To mount effective preventive efforts, we need better information regarding the factors involved in the etiology of childhood obesity and overweight children.

High fat fast food diets are becoming more of a staple in children’s diets, and even when they do receive home cooked meals, some children suffer poor diets as parents often are not aware of the nutritional value of the foods they prepare. It’s kind of a double whammy for children, they are getting poorer nutrition in the food’s they eat, and they are exercising less to burn off the extra calories.

It is apparent that obesity is triggered by eating a diet high in fat and calories, being sedentary, or a combination of both. There can be other factors, including genetics, hormones, behavior, environment, and culture. And, obesity is not limited to grown-ups. Approximately 25 to 30 % of adult obesity cases began with childhood obesity. You have heard the story, "I was overweight when I was younger, and this is something that has continued into adulthood."

To help arrest the trends in childhood obesity, both the Surgeon General and the Institute of Medicine have recommended that obesity-prevention efforts begin early in life.

Children With Low Self-Control More Likely to Become Overweight Pre-Teens

Young children who do not display an ability to regulate their behavior or to delay gratification in exchange for a larger reward appear predisposed to gain extra weight by their pre-teen years, according to published reports. The implication is that interventions to enhance energy-balance regulation in young children will benefit from efforts to encourage self-regulation in other domains, such as encouraging self-control and delay of gratification, both of which are important factors in regulating energy intake.

Prescriptions Increase Among Children and Teens

A national study on the belly fat issue among boys and girl found that among boys the incidence of belly fat had increased 65% and the incidence among girls was up 70%. The findings are painting a bleak picture for children. Children with belly fat are more prone to develop type II diabetes and some are even being reported to have early onset cardiovascular disease.

The prevalence of children and teens who were prescribed medications for hypertension (high blood pressure), dyslipidemia (abnormal cholesterol) or diabetes (including insulin) increased 15.2 percent, from 3.3 per 1,000 youths in November 2004 to 3.8 per 1,000 youths in June 2007. "The increasing use of oral anti-diabetic and antihypertensive pharmacotherapy among children and adolescents, especially in the younger age group, indicates either an increased awareness of treatment needs or increased incidence of cardiovascular risk factors typically associated with adult populations," the authors write.

When assessed separately, cholesterol-controlling therapy was uncommon (prescribed to 0.2 per 1,000 youths overall) and declined 22.9 percent during the study period. "The decrease in treatment of dyslipidemia may reflect the ongoing controversy regarding statin use," the authors conclude.

Study Identifies Racial Disparities in Childhood Obesity

Obesity appears twice as common among American Indian and Native Alaskan children than non-Hispanic white or Asian children at age 4. Sarah E. Anderson, Ph.D., of The Ohio State University College of Public Health, Columbus, and Robert C. Whitaker, M.D., M.P.H., of Temple University, Philadelphia, studied a nationally representative sample of 8,550 U.S. children born in 2001. In 2005, 18.4 percent of the 4-year-olds were obese, including 31.2 percent of American Indian/Native Alaskan children, 22 percent of Hispanic children, 20.8 percent of non-Hispanic black children, 15.9 percent of non-Hispanic white children and 12.8 percent of Asian children.

Teens Who Give Birth More Likely to Be Overweight

Girls who give birth between ages 15 and 19 appear to be substantially heavier, with more abdominal fat, regardless of their childhood weight or of other risk factors for weight gain.

Adolescence has been identified as one of the critical periods of development that set the stage for the onset of obesity later in life. Earlier age at a first birth (younger than 20 years) has been associated with increased rates of coronary heart disease in women. Thus, the influence of gestational weight gain on changes in growth and adiposity during adolescence is an important aspect for future investigation.

Fat Loss Tips for Teenagers

Take soft drinks out of your diet and replace with water. Water is crucial to balanced nutrition and transports food particles. Our blood is 90% water and blood requires water to stay fluid so it can create nutrients.

Eat healthy, and clean out your fridge and cupboards to get rid of unhealthy nibbles and foods!

Eat uncooked foods with no added sugar, salt and additives and don't eat when you are feeling down. To do so changes the chemical components of food and causes hyperacidity in your stomach. That could clarify why there is such a high incidence of gastric reflux disease in our country.

Finally, start a regular exercise program for 30 mins a day. Exercise raises heart rate, reduces blood pressure, helps muscle tone, and slows down aging.

Body mass index (BMI) uses height and weight measurements to estimate how much body fat a person has. To calculate BMI, divide weight in kg by height in meters squared; for pounds and inches, divide weight by height squared and multiply the result by the conversion factor 703.

Further Information Regarding Childhood Obesity

Teenage Obesity Linked to Increased Risk of MS
The study found that women who had a BMI of 30 or larger at age 18 had more than twice the risk of developing MS compared to those with a BMI between 18.5 and 20.9.

Intervention Program Helps Kids Eat Healthier
A new Iowa State University study found that a family, school and community intervention program helps children live healthier lives and could be a new tool in the fight against the nation's childhood obesity epidemic.

Teenage Diet Depends on Social Background
Policymakers have long insisted on the importance of understanding young people's health and eating habits but this is the first study to show how everyday practices and perceptions of different social classes contribute to variation in the diet, weight and health of teenagers.

Children with Emotional Problems at Higher Risk for Adult Obesity
Previous research has shown that low self-esteem and emotional problems are found in people who are overweight or obese - but not which influences which. Research published today in the open access journal BMC Medicine, sheds light on this issue showing that children with emotional difficulties are at higher risk for obesity in adult life.

HHS Joins Ad Council and Warner Bros. Pictures to Combat Childhood Overweight and Obesity
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Ad Council today launched a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) designed to address childhood overweight and obesity. Featuring characters from the upcoming film Where the Wild Things Are, the PSAs are an extension of HHS Childhood Overweight and Obesity Prevention campaign with the Ad Council, which encourages children and families to lead healthy lifestyles.

America has Reached Obesity Tipping Point
Obesity now impacts every aspect of our lives, including the future of our health care system. Health reform that directly addresses obesity will save lives, save money, and improve the health and well-being of every American.

Childhood Obesity: The Increasing Vascular Drama
Obesity is one of the most important health problems in industrialized countries irrespective of socio-economic status, age, sex or ethnicity. The prevalence of childhood obesity in children has reached alarming levels, even in developing countries.

Exercise and Healthy Eating Habits in Young Adults
Despite mounting public health concerns about obesity and persistent social pressures dictating that slim is beautiful, young women in their '20s consistently exercise less than young men.

Parents can Help Stop Childhood Obesity Epidemic
Childhood obesity has quadrupled in the last 40 years, which may mean today's children become the first generation to have a shorter lifespan than their parents, a leading obesity expert told the American Psychological Association on Saturday.

Risk Factors of Childhood Obesity
Overweight youth with certain socio-environmental, psychological, and behavioral tendencies, such as reading magazine articles about dieting, reporting a lack of family connectedness, placing a high importance on weight, and reporting having participated in unhealthy weight control behaviors, are more likely to suffer from eating disorders.

Active Children Benefit Later in Life
The study, published this month in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, indicates that kids who are active at age 5 end up with less fat at age 8 and 11, even when controlling for their accumulated level of activity. Being active at age 5 helps kids stay lean as they age even if they don't remain as active later in childhood.

Parents Fail to Recognize Children's Weight Problems
Despite constant warnings about childhood obesity, too many Australian parents are still oblivious to the fact their children are overweight, according to the findings of the national MBF Healthwatch survey. The disturbing results showed that only 7.9% of children were considered to be overweight by their parents.

Overweight Children Experience More Loneliness and Anxiety
As childhood obesity rates continue to increase, experts agree that more information is needed about the implications of being overweight as a step toward reversing current trends. Now, a new University of Missouri study has found that overweight children, especially girls, show signs of the negative consequences of being overweight as early as kindergarten.

Lap Band Surgery Reduces Teens Risk for Heart Disease and Diabetes
In teenagers, laparoscopic gastric banding surgery for treatment of extreme obesity can significantly improve and even reverse the metabolic syndrome, a new study found. The results were presented at The Endocrine Society's 91st Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

Junk Food Makes Kids Fat and Happy
Fast food and soft drinks may be making children fatter but they also make them happy. Programs aimed at tackling childhood obesity, by reducing children's consumption of unhealthy food and drink, are likely to be more effective if they also actively seek to keep children happy in other ways.