Josh Anna

A child is obese if their weight is more than 20% higher than the ideal weight for a boy or girl of their age and height

Between 2003 and 2004, 17.1% of children and teens, aged 2-19 years (over 12 and a half million young people) were overweight

32.2% of adults (over 66 million) were obese

Almost 5% of adults were extremely obese

Obesity is common enough among children that we can consider it an epidemic

Studies have shown a dramatic rise in the number of obese children in the last few decades in this country

Between 1980 and 2000, obesity rates doubled among children and tripled among teens

If current trends do not level off or decrease, adolescent obesity rates will only increase leading to higher costs in healthcare and a even greater epidemic

White Non-Hispanic Hispanic

Black Non-Hispanic

Heredity Obese children are likely to have at least one obese

parent and obesity is greater in identical than in fraternal twins

Socioeconomic status Obesity is more common in low SES families

Early growth pattern Infants who gain weight rapidly are at a greater risk for

obesity

Parents promote unhealthy eating habits

Family eating habits When parents purchase high calorie foods, use them to

reward their children

Responsiveness to food cues Obese children often decide when to eat on the basis of

external cues such as taste, smell, sight, time of day, and food related words

Physical activity TV viewing/ video games Increase in technology

More reasons for children not to become active

Early malnutrition Results in growth stunting

Many studies have shown that there is not a big difference in the amount of food eaten and physical activity between obese and non-obese kids

Probably small differences in eating and activity over time really add up and lead to weight gain

Obese children do tend to eat larger portions or higher calorie foods, like high-fat foods

Physical activity and inactivity are very important factors

Many studies have shown that kids who spend more time watching television and playing video games are at higher risk of becoming overweight

One in three high school youth do not engage in vigorous physical activity

Less than 30% attend daily gym class

Sprawling development that discourages physical activity and makes walking and biking difficult or dangerous is also a factor

Promotes inactivity Instead of physical play with peers, video games allow

child to sit and control what they do

Used as virtual “babysitter” Parents tend to use video games as a means to occupy

child so they can finish daily tasks

Consumption of high calorie foods We tend to snack on high calorie foods during TV time

to satisfy hunger during long durations of gaming

Limits peer interactions Peer relationships in middle childhood are essential to

social growth in later life

The recent introduction of interactive games such as Wii have been marketed to engage children in physical activity

Classic video games such as PlayStation and Nintendo only promote the player to sit and become physical inactive and anti-social, even with multi-players

Limited research has been done on the effectiveness of interactive games on physical health but few studies have found that these games do not provide any significant level of calorie burning compared to classic video games

The physical movement in interactive video games still only applies to arm and hand motions which burn a minimal amount of calories

Notice: These studies only focused on in-home gaming systems only Such games as Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) were not taken into

consideration

Obesity develops over time and cannot be solved overnight

Do not expect dramatic change. That is unrealistic to you and your child

The best way to have a healthy weight is prevention

Be sure your family has healthy habits from the beginning, and prevent yourself and your children from becoming overweight

It is much easier to maintain a healthy weight than it is to lose weight

Think about all the media your child uses: television, computer, video games, hand-held computer games

These are all activities that replace physical activity in your child's daily routine Placing time limits on them will free up time for a more active

lifestyle Watching TV can use less energy than simply sitting and

resting

Teach your child to be media savvy The media bombards us with images of thin people having

fun while eating and drinking high calorie foods Kids don't necessarily have the cognitive abilities to process

this paradox

Promote family time over TV time

Obesity is not just your child’s problem. It is a problem that the whole family must be involved in solving

As a family, try to think of problems that you have solved successfully. This will help you stay positive, and look for other areas that are opportunities for change.

Mealtimes should be family times

Eat together as a family, and don’t watch TV during meals

Families that do not eat together tend to consume more fried foods and soda and less fruits and veggies than families that share meals.

Encourage physical activity

As kids move into adolescence, their levels of activity tend to drop too low. Do active things together as a family, like bike riding, hiking, walking and swimming

Build activity into your family's daily life with household chores, walking to school, parking farther from buildings and taking the stairs

Make sure your kid gets outside during daylight hour

Make it a policy in your family that unless the weather is bad, your children play outdoors after school. This encourages physical activity, and rules out the inactive

pursuits of TV and other media such as video games

University of Michigan Health Systems http://www.med.umich.edu/yourchild/topics/obesity.htm

Berk, L. (2008) Infants, Children, and Adolescents: Physical Development in Middle Childhood, 6 (11), 416-422

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/trends.html#State