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How to Prevent, or
Reverse, Childhood Obesity
Most are aware of the obesity epidemic facing us, but what you
may not know is that obesity is also a major concern for children.
In the last two decades, the prevalence of overweight adolescents
has nearly tripled, and now one out of every four children in
North America are seriously overweight or at risk of becoming
overweight.
Overweight and obese children are not only faced with increased
health problems--heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure,
gastrointestinal and orthopaedic problems, and type 2 diabetes
to name a few--but they are also likely to suffer from low self-esteem
and depression as a result of their weight. Being overweight or
obese can take a huge emotional toll on a young child.
Further, overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming
overweight or obese as adults, and that chance moves closer to
80 percent if the child has a parent who is overweight or obese.
An adult who was an obese child has an even greater likelihood
of developing serious health problems than if the obesity developed
in adulthood.
Child obesity has only has a few major causes:
- Inactivity (watching television and playing video games rather
than playing outside to get exercise)
- Drinking soda and juice instead of water
- Eating sugar, bread, cereal and other simple carbohydrates
Adding to the problem is that parents of overweight children
don’t always recognize that their child is overweight. According
to one survey, only three percent of parents of severely obese
children considered their child overweight, and eight percent
of the parents actually considered them to be underweight.
Fortunately, obesity in children (and adults) can be prevented--and
reversed. The future health of our children is clearly related
to having our children eat healthy. If we want to save them incredible
needless grief and suffering then it would be wise to encourage
them to eat properly and exercise plenty.
The first step is to have your children drink nothing but water.
This will drastically cut down on the amount of sugar your child
consumes from soft
drinks and fruit juices. For every soft drink or sugar-sweetened
beverage a child drinks each day, their obesity risk appears to
jump 60 percent.
Next have your child gradually incorporate a balanced nutrition
plan into their daily eating habits so they are eating a healthy
diet of whole, nutritious foods rather than the processed ones
that line most grocery store shelves. This includes cutting out
simple carbohydrates and sugar, as these are two of the major
culprits behind weight gain.
Exercise is another extremely important factor. Overweight and
obese children will need at least 30 minutes of exercise a day,
and major studies have shown that 60 minutes a day is actually
best. Any activity that gets your child up and away from the television
set is a good idea. At first you can try walking
with your child, and then gradually increase the intensity to
include activities such as jogging and using an elliptical machine
and eventually starting
a fitness program.
Emotions also play a major role in child obesity, as many children’s
weight loss efforts get sabotaged by emotional eating. Children
may also have a hard time giving up their junk food snacks. The
psychological and social divisions of the Active
Health & Wellness Program can be helpful in addressing
underlying emotional challenges, such as low self-esteem, that
can lead your child to eat unhealthy food or overeat.
Reference
Source 104, 106, 116
For more information on how to prevent other diseases, use
PreventDisease.com's "Quick
Prevention Resources".
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