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Health Background
Nutrition: Childhood Obesity
Obesity among children is now epidemic in the United States. About 15 percent of kids between the ages of 6 and 19 — almost nine million — is overweight. This is triple the proportion of overweight kids in 1980. Another 15 percent of children and teens are considered to be at risk of becoming overweight. And more than 10 percent of preschool children between ages 2 and 5 are overweight, up from 7 percent in 1994.
Obesity is gauged by a measure called the Body Mass Index (BMI). A BMI is calculated by dividing an individual's weight in kilograms by the square of his or her height in meters. For children and adolescents, a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for their age is considered to be overweight. A BMI from the 85th to the 94th percentage for their age is considered to be at risk for being overweight.
Data from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey revealed that:
- Non-Hispanic Black and Mexican-American adolescents ages 12-19 were more likely to be overweight (24 percent) than non-Hispanic white adolescents (13 percent).
- Mexican-American children ages 6-11 were more likely to be overweight (24 percent) than non-Hispanic Black children (20 percent) and non-Hispanic white children (12 percent).
Among the health risks posed by being overweight and obese:
- Obese children and adults are increasingly at risk for type 2 diabetes, a type of diabetes previously only seen in adults.
- Many obese children have high cholesterol and blood pressure levels, which are risk factors for heart disease.
- Obese children may experience sleep apnea (interrupted breathing while sleeping), which may lead to learning and memory problems.
- Obese children tend to experience orthopedic problems, liver disease, and asthma.
- Overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults.
- The most immediate consequence of being overweight as perceived by the children themselves is social discrimination. This is associated with poor self-esteem and depression.
Increased consumption of food and decreased physical activity are the primary culprits in the increase in childhood obesity. Over the past 30 years, America's food preparation and eating habits have changed dramatically. Meals are less often prepared at home "from scratch." Increasingly, Americans eat many of their meals in restaurants or on the run. Restaurant portions have increased in size. Television, computers, and video games occupy children's leisure time. And safety concerns have limited the unsupervised outdoor play that children of previous generations experienced.
Schools can contribute to combating the epidemic of childhood obesity. Among the strategies that schools can adopt are these:
- Providing appropriate levels of physical education for all students.
- Developing skills for lifetime physical activity in physical education classes in lieu of exclusively focusing on skills used in competitive sports.
- Improving access to tasty and nutritious fresh foods such as salad bars in the school cafeteria.
- Eliminating vending machines or limiting access during school hours.
- Eliminating the use of highly-sugared foods such as cupcakes and candy during class celebrations, in disciplinary procedures, and as fundraisers.
- Eliminating advertisements for food and beverages on school grounds.
Learning More
In 2001, the U.S. Surgeon General issued The Surgeon General's Call To Action To Prevent and Decrease Overweight and Obesity (www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/obesity). This report contains information about obesity in children, adolescents and adults, and provides information on strategies to reduce the burden caused by obesity.
In January 2005, an updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans will be issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; this document is based on a review of the most recent research on nutrition. In February 2005, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will issue a Food Guidance System that is consistent with the new Dietary Guidelines. The Food Guidance System will replace the widely-known Food Guide Pyramid.
References
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Obesity Still on the Rise, New Studies Show
Childhood Obesity on the Rise
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