Childhood ObesityBy: Randall Wright

Quick Facts

• Childhood obesity is on a steady incline, today there are more children suffering from obesity than ever before.

• Today nearly 20% of children are obese.

• Obesity is defined as having an excess amount of body fat.

• Overweight is defined as having excess weight for a height from fat, muscle, water or any combination of these.

Quick Facts Cont…

• In 2008 over one third of children were either obese or overweight.

• Overweight and obesity are caused when one consumes more calories than he or she burns off.

Top Ten Causes of Childhood Obesity

• Go to the following website and read the top causes of childhood obesity.

• Causes of Childhood Obesity

Can you think of any other causes of childhood obesity?

• Get with a partner and see if the two of you can come up with any other causes of childhood obesity other than the ones on the website.

Ways to Prevent Childhood Obesity

• Go to the following websites and read about the ways to prevent childhood obesity.

• Prevention of Childhood Obesity

• Ways schools can help prevent childhood obesity

As A Future Educator…

• Find a partner and try and come up with ways that you two think you would combat childhood obesity in your own schools.

• Would you use methods from the website? If so which ones?

• Do you have any different methods that you think would work in your future school?

References

• http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/problem.html

• http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm

• http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/physicalactivity/pdf/roleofschools_obesity.pdf