The percentage of children who are overweight and obese has been increasing at an alarming rate. Overweight is defined by health authorities as weighing in excess of a set standard for your height and having a BMI (body mass index) of 25 to 29. Obesity means having an extremely high proportion of body fat with a BMI of 30 or more. Over twenty percent of children from six to eleven years old are overweight and over seventeen percent of young adults ages twelve to nineteen are overweight. Between 1994 and 2000 the percent of overweight children between ages two and five increased from seven to ten percent. Adolescents who are overweight or obese are seventy percent more likely to become overweight or obese in adulthood.
It has also been reported that only fifty percent of adolescents ages twelve to twenty-one participate daily in vigorous physical activity and twenty-five percent engage in light or moderate physical activity. However, twenty-five percent of this age group do not engage in vigorous physical activity and fourteen percent do not participate in either vigorous or light to moderate physical activity.
When overweight and obesity occur in young children and teens there are serious psychological effects as well as physiological problems. The overweight child is subject to teasing and bullying from other children. This can even worsen the weight problem as it can drive the child to seek comfort in food and overeat even more. Weight problems prohibit young children from enjoying even moderate success in games and sports and this is damaging to their self-esteem.
One difficulty that parents face with children who have weight problems is how to correct the problem. Some of the adult methods used for dropping weight are not appropriate for children. Many adult diets are so restrictive, that if used with children, would deprive the child of the nutrients needed for normal growth. Parents need to discuss this problem with their pediatrician. However, one restriction that parents can safely implement is limiting visits to fast food restaurants and monitoring the child's eating when they do visit. Most fast food restaurants serve large portions so parents can have children share an entree. And, since fast food restaurants are also starting to offer some healthy options, parents can encourage children to try these.
What works better and provides a healthier method for children to normalize their weight is to increase the amount of physical activity and decrease sedentary pursuits. Parents can begin by restricting the amount of time children watch TV and play computer games. The more significant the child's weight problem is, the more difficult it will be to get them involved in increasing their physical activity levels. This will require participation on the parent's part. Children, especially younger ones, value time alone with their parents. So parents can begin with simple activities such as playing catch, going for evening walks, and in the case of very young children, taking them to the playgrounds at nearby parks. Parents can also network with the child's teachers to get them involved in after school activities. No matter how great the effort, it is important to do this when children are young, as they will be helping to prolong their children's adult lives.
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