Let’s face it we live in a day and age of instant gratification. This not only affects adults but it is now trickling down to our youth. Parents now just hand them a bag of Cheetos just to hush them up. Parents plop them down in front of the TV with a huge bowl of popcorn and leave them so that they can go browse their social media page or order something off of their favorite shopping website. Let’s not get into the fact that gone are the days of a healthy home cooked meal.
1. A Growing Cause of Concern
Childhood obesity is without question a growing epidemic in this country. It has more than tripled in the last 30 years. It is a serious medical condition that has many major ramifications that can extend far into adulthood. Obesity in children is defined as their BMI (body mass index) being greater than 95%. The most popular method for measuring your child to see if they are obese is called BMI-per-age percentile.
2. How Obesity is Determined
How is BMI-per-age measured in children? They first look at a child’s BMI chart to determine what is the ideal weight for the child’s height. Then they calculate that based on age. The chart will differ based on the sex of the child. While this is considered a preferred method, your physician ultimately is the only one that can or should diagnose your child as obese.
3. Long Term Effects
Obesity in adults can have major medical consequences as we all know. Childhood obesity is no different nor is it immune. A child is prone to the same diseases as adults which is sad and not to mention unnecessary and preventable in many cases. We are talking about major things like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, bone issues, and high cholesterol to name a few. Things kids shouldn’t have to deal with at their age.
4. Other Risks Facts
Let’s briefly talk about diabetes in your obese child. Type 2 diabetes in children can be caused by a few different factors the only cause that is preventable is obesity. This type of diabetes is when your body builds up too much glucose in the bloodstream. The body becomes resistant to the effects of the insulin that the pancreas makes. Thus building up dangerous levels of glucose in the body. So not only does the child have diabetes but they are also at risk for other complications that come from having diabetes like kidney failure and blindness.
5. Causes and Prevention
Lack of physical activity is a problem now with kids as well. In today’s world kids tend to gather around a TV and not a fire hydrant. Kids plop down in front of a video game console as their entertainment. Biking has become a thing of the past replaced by hours of sitting in front of a computer or TV. This sedentary lifestyle is the start of obesity.
Though being physically active is extremely important nothing beats eating habits. Diet plays a very major role in the creation of childhood obesity. With all the fast food ads on TV and the busy schedules that people hold it seems to be easier to have an unhealthy diet. Instead of cooking a healthy meal every night it is easy to just pick up something quick at your local fast food establishment not to mention cheaper with all the Value menus out there.
Environment in general is playing a role in snow balling this epidemic as well. 30 years ago one snack a day was normal for a child. Now three snacks a day is average, which could easily add an additional 200+ calories to your child’s day. Statistics show that 40% – 50% of every dollar spent is spent on eating out be it restaurants, fast food establishments, or sporting events. Due to the increase in portion size these days when people do eat outside of their home they are taking in way more calories than they would at home. Sports drinks, fruit juices, and sodas add to this scenario as well.
6. Physical and Psychological Impact
Socioeconomic status is a huge factor in childhood obesity as well. Children of a ethnic or race minority and also those with lower incomes tend to engage in less healthy lifestyles more than their counterparts. Lower income families don’t have the money to pay for extracurricular activities. When struggling to pay bills, convenience foods tend to win out over healthier choices. These convenience foods tend to be processed which is full of fat and sugar not to mention higher in calories.
Not only is a child’s physical health affected by obesity, their mental health can take a hit as well. They are often more susceptible to teasing and bullying from their peers. Their own family members can sometimes shun them. Their self-esteem tends to suffer and they are more likely to miss school to avoid the bullying or teasing. They can also be embarrassed to partake in the physical activities that they need. All of this can lead to depression which in turn can lead to self-medicating with more food as a coping mechanism.
7. Financial Impact
Healthcare costs due to childhood obesity are also something that needs to be taken into consideration. Childhood obesity is estimated to cost around $19,000 per child in lifetime medical costs. The lifetime medical costs of obese children are over $14 billion and climbing. So not only are you faced with health and physical issues, you are now having to worry about the financial end of it which more than likely will carry over into adulthood.