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According to the latest Childhood Obesity Statistics from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, " An estimated 16 percent of children and adolescents aged 6-19 years are overweight ." Even more are at risk of becoming overweight. This is why so many health experts talk about the childhood obesity epidemic.
Risk factors for obesity
- Poor eating habits
- Inactivity
- Nutrition - many overweight children are eating oversized portions and too many of the wrong foods, including:
- High-Fat Foods
- High Calorie Foods
- Junk Food
- Juice and Soda
- Physical Activity - a lack of physical activity is another big risk factor for childhood obesity.
- Genetics - a family history of obesity.
- Sleep – one many think that sleeping too much would increase child's risk of childhood obesity, but surprisingly, many studies show that not getting enough sleep increases the risk of childhood obesity.
Preventing Childhood Obesity
Although genetics can't be changed, we can work to change all of the other risk factors for childhood obesity. These resources should help:
- Understanding Child Nutrition
The best nutrition advice to keep your child healthy includes encouraging him to:
- Eat a variety of foods
- Balance the food he eats with physical activity
- Choose a diet with plenty of grain products, vegetables and fruits
- Choose a diet low in fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol
- Avoid foods with a lot of added sugar and foods high in salt
- Choose a diet that provides enough calcium and iron to meet his growing body's requirements
- Avoid a lot of fast food, caffeine, juice, and soda
- Healthy Food
In general, healthy foods include:
- Low-fat foods and foods those are low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
- High-fiber foods, including whole grain foods, vegetables and fruits.
- Foods that have only a moderate amount of sugar and salt.
- Calcium-rich foods, such as low-fat milk, to meet a child's daily calcium requirements.
- Iron-rich foods, including lean meats and iron-fortified whole grains, to meet a child's daily requirements for iron.
- Healthy snacks
- Avoid: High-fat foods, High-calorie foods
- Healthy Snacks for Kids
In addition to fresh fruit, which are often high in fiber and vitamin C, low in fat, and have no added sugar, other healthy snacks that are quick and easy for kids to eat can include:
- Fresh fruit, such as apples, bananas, grapes, oranges, strawberries, watermelon, etc.
- Dried fruits, including raisins and prunes, although these are considered sticky foods that can put kids at increased risk for cavities, so consider having your kids brush and floss after eating.
- Raw vegetables, including carrots, celery, or broccoli, that can be served with a low-fat dip or dressing.
- Dairy products, such as low-fat cheese, yogurt, and pudding, or a homemade fruit juices.
- Although not low in fat or calories, nuts and trail mix can also be considered a healthy snack from if a child is only given a single serving and it is not eaten on a daily basis.
- Low Fat Foods
Healthy low-fat foods, in addition to those that are labeled low fat or fat free, include:
- Lettuce
- Carrots
- Tomatoes
- Strawberries
- Spinach
- Egg whites
- Grapes
- Oatmeal cookies
- Breakfast cereals (most brands)
- Watermelon
- Grean peas
- Wheat bread
- Beans
- Rice
- Vegetable soup
- Milk - 1% reduced fat and skimmed milk
- Soda and Drink Guidelines
- Instead of juice, children should be encouraged to eat whole fruits.
- Drink water.
- Avoid soda, fruit drinks, sports drink (unless your child is actively involved in a sporting activity at the time) and other sugary, high calorie drinks.
- Avoid caffeine.
- Low-Fat Milk
Milk is good for kids and teens. It is a good source of calcium, vitamin D, and protein. In fact, depending on their age, most kids should drink between 2 and 4 glasses of milk each day, especially if they aren't eating or drinking any other high calcium foods, such as yogurt, cheese, or calcium fortified orange juice.
IS YOUR CHILD OVERWEIGHT?
Calculating a child's BMI (Body Mass Index) is also important for all of those children who are already at a healthy weight, but think that they are overweight and may have an eating disorder.
BMI (Quetelet index) = Weight (kg)/ Height 2(m)
The BMI values are age dependent and same for both sexes.
- BMI < 16.00 indicates grade 3 thinness.
- BMI 16.00 – 16.99 indicates grade 2 thinness.
- BMI 17.00 – 18.49 indicates grade 1 thinness.
- BMI 18.5 – 24.99 is the normal range for an individual.
- BMI 25.00 – 29.99 indicates grade 1 overweight.
- BMI 30.00 – 39.99 indicates grade 2 overweight.
- BMI 40.00 or >40.00 indicates grade 3 overweight
WEIGHT LOSS
If the child is overweight help him lose weight
Having specific weight loss goals, in addition to more specific advice on how to eat healthier and how much more active they need to be, can also be helpful.
With these weight loss goals in mind, you can now try to help your child reach those goals by:
- Encouraging moderate physical activity for at least 60 minutes on most days.
- Decreasing the amount of screen time to less than two hours a day, which includes time spent on the computer, watching tv, and playing video games.
- Figuring out how many calories your child needs with this calorie calculator.
- Understanding that there are about 3,500 calories in a pound of fat.
- Keeping a drink diary to help reduce how many calories your child is getting from sugary drinks.
- Learn to choose healthy food for your child to eat, including fruits and vegetables, and teach him to make healthy choices when he eats away from home.
- Make sure he is eating healthy snacks, so that snack time doesn't turn into an extra meal.
- Encouraging your child to get a good nights sleep, keeping in mind that teens need about 9 hours of sleep, children between the ages of 6 and 12 need about 10 to 11 hours of sleep, and that preschoolers and toddlers need even more.
- Moving up your weight loss goals after a few months if your child still needs to lose weight and has been successful with his initial goals. For example, some overweight teens will need to lose about two pounds every month or week to get to a healthy weight.
- Most importantly, encourage healthy eating and a healthy weight instead of pushing "dieting" on your child.
Risks of Childhood Obesity
An increased incidence of childhood obesity is closely related to an increase in the number of diseases and conditions that are associated with obesity. Some of the health effects of childhood obesity include:
- Insulin Resistance.
- Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
- Hypertension.
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea.
- Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (Fatty Liver).
- Poor Self-Esteem.
- Adult Obesity
To control the Childhood obesity proper monitoring of diet and activity schedule has to be taken care of. Physical training at schools may be helpful. Free body activities are must to keep the body fit for which the child must be encouraged and taught to develop interest in outdoor games inspite of video/screen games and indoor games.
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