Childhood Obesity: Why You Need to Know About It

It is said that 25 million, which is about 1 in every 3 child, in the USA is vulnerable to the risks of childhood obesity. The worst part is, the parents are either not aware of the dangers childhood obesity has or are not ready to acknowledge that their child is in this category. Both of these make the tackling of this health hazard a really difficult problem.

How To Know If Your Child Is Obese

If you feel your child is overweight, then take him to a doctor to calculate his BMI from his height and weight. If his BMI is between 85 to 95%, he will be considered overweight; but if it is over 95, then he is considered as obese.

What Causes Childhood Obesity

There are various factors that lead to childhood obesity. Some of them are:

Genetics: It is seen that parents who are obese themselves, have children who suffer from childhood obesity. But it does not mean that children of such parents will always be obese; it means that such children are prone to this problem and if other factors contribute, they most often become obese.

Environment: Our school system and the food served there plays a vital role in the rate at which this problem is increasing in our society. Physical education classes have considerably reduced in many schools where 55 million U.S. children attend; and on the other hand, the availability of sugary drinks, candies and other such unhealthy foods has increased within the school premise. Since children spend a major portion of their daily schedule in school, this lack of exercise and unavailability of healthy snacks is leading to more obese children than before.

Even at home, many parents fail to curb their children's demand for junk foods or provide wholesome healthy food. Children's dietary habits should be formed from early stages and the eating of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains should be encouraged. Sweets and other sugary products should be given in moderate amounts and as treats. The eating habits of the whole family have to be changed to make sure childhood obesity does not create havoc in our society.

Lack of physical exercise: Children today love to play with their Xbox, PlayStation and other video games than go out and play in the park. Television is another form of entertainment that is stopping children from going out to play. Together with the fact that only 1/3rd of American school-aged children have PE classes, this physical inactivity is contributing greatly to the problem of childhood obesity.

The Effects Of Childhood Obesity

There are many bad sides to this problem; obese children have physical as well as emotional problems due to their obesity. Type 2 diabetics, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol level are some physical ailments that plague obese children. All of these can turn fatal if care is not taken in time. On the emotional front, obese children, especially those in their teens, are vulnerable to bouts of depression, low self-esteem and development of eating disorder.

Obese children grow up to be obese adults with lower life expectancy if corrections are not done in time. So be aware of your child's lifestyle and take appropriate steps to prevent this problem from occurring.

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