September: Child Obesity Awareness Month

Let’s Talk About… 

September: Child Obesity Awareness Month

by Maya Bryant

What is Obesity? 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Overweight and Obesity are both terms used to describe body weight considered to be unhealthy for a certain height. This is measured by calculating BMI (Body Mass Index) to determine the amount of fat a person has. For children, BMI is categorized by height, weight, age, and gender.  Children with a BMI between the 85th and 94th percentiles are considered overweight; children with a BMI at or over the 95th percentile of the population are considered obese.  Overweight and obesity are the result of “caloric imbalance”—too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed—and are affected by various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors

A few statistics:

• Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents in the past 30 years.
• The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2010. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period.
• In 2010, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.

The Problem with Child Obesity 

Obesity, unfortunately, has many negative effects on health. Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Obese adolescents are more likely to have pre-diabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels indicate a high risk for development of diabetes. Children and adolescents who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem. Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.  Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk for many types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, thyroid, ovary, cervix, and prostate.

How we can prevent this!

Fortunately, obesity is a disease that can be avoided if preventative measures are taken place. Healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese and developing related diseases.  The dietary and physical activity behaviors of children and adolescents are influenced by many sectors of society, including families, communities, schools, child care settings, medical care providers, faith-based institutions, government agencies, the media, and the food and beverage industries and entertainment industries. Schools play a particularly critical role by establishing a safe and supportive environment with policies and practices that support healthy behaviors. Schools also provide opportunities for students to learn about and practice healthy eating and physical activity behaviors.

Let’s Move!

First Lady Michelle Obama launched an initiative entitled Let’s Move in early 2010 to fight childhood obesity in the United States of America.  This movement tackles obesity by providing healthier foods in our schools, giving every family the accessibility to healthy, affordable food, and helping children become more physically active. 

The five pillars of the Let’s Move! Initiative: 

1. Creating a healthy start for children
2. Empowering parents and caregivers 
3. Providing healthy food in school
4. Improving access to healthy, affordable foods
5. Increasing physical activity 

Everyone, from teachers to parents, celebrities to the government needs to work together to better the future in OUR children’s health.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYP4MgxDV2U <Beyoncé promotes Let’s Move! campaign with new music video