AMERICANor

AMERICAN’T?

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Approximately 300,000 adult deaths in the United States each year are attributable to unhealthy dietary habits

and physical inactivity or sedentary behavior.

WHAT ABOUT OUR CHILDREN?• Nearlytwo-thirdsofU.S.adultsareover-weight.• Nearlyone-thirdofU.S.adultsareobese.

Approximately 19% of children (ages 6–11) and 17% of adolescents (ages 12–19)

were overweight in 2000

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Immediate Health effects:

Long-term Health effects:• Childrenandadoles-centswhoareobesearelike-lytobeobeseasadultsandarethereforemoreatriskforadulthealthproblemssuchasheartdisease,type2dia-betes,stroke,severaltypesofcancer,andosteoarthri-tis.Onestudyshowedthatchildrenwhobecameobeseasearlyasage2weremorelikelytobeobeseasadults.• Overweightandobe-sityareassociatedwithin-creasedriskformanytypesofcancer,includingcancerofthebreast,colon,endo-metrium,esophagus,kid-ney,pancreas,gallbladder,thyroid,ovary,cervix,andprostate,aswellasmultiplemyelomaandHodgkin’slymphoma

• Obeseyoutharemorelikelytohaveriskfactorsforcardiovascu-lardisease,suchashighcholesterolorhighbloodpressure.• Obeseadolescentsaremorelikelytohaveprediabetes,aconditioninwhichbloodglucoselev-elsindicateahighriskfordevelopmentofdiabetes.• Childrenandadoles-centswhoareobeseareatgreaterriskforboneandjointproblems,sleepap-nea,andsocialandpsy-chologicalproblemssuchasstigmatizationandpoorself-esteem.

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PREVENTION• Healthylifestylehabits,includinghealthyeatingandphysicalactivity,canlowertheriskofbecomingobeseanddevelopingrelateddiseases.6• Thedietaryandphysicalactivitybehaviorsofchildrenandadolescentsareinflu-encedbymanysectorsofsociety,includingfamilies,communities,schools,childcaresettings,medicalcareproviders,faith-basedinstitutions,governmentagencies,themedia,andthefoodandbeverageindustriesandentertainmentindustries.• Schoolsplayaparticularlycriticalrolebyestablishingasafeandsupportiveenvi-ronmentwithpoliciesandpracticesthatsupporthealthybehaviors.Schoolsalsoprovideopportunitiesforstudentstolearnaboutandpracticehealthyeatingandphysicalactivitybehaviors.