Childhood
Obesity
Genetic factors do
play a role in childhood obesity and it's clear that the problem
runs in families, but often it's shared behaviour - eating unhealthy
food and lack of activity which lead to members of the same
family all being overweight.
Occasionally, there
is a medical cause for childhood obesity, but this is the exception
rather than the rule must be diagnosed by a doctor.
It's easy to pretend
that being overweight is something children will grow out of.
It can be the case, as youngsters do have growth spurts and sometimes
they will indeed lose their excess fat. Parents who are concerned
about children's weight should consult a doctor. It's much better
to recognise the problem early, as it will be easier to correct
and cause the child much less stress if dealt with immediately.
The main cause of
childhood obesity is poor nutrition, in other words eating too
much of the wrong type of foods. Children have become used to
fast food and of course they like the taste, and fast food contains
excessive amounts of fat, sugar, refined carbohydrates and salt,
all of which are contributary factors
in weight gain.
A number of factors
combine to make this situation a major problem in developed
countries - advertising targets children and with youngsters
watching approximately 25 hours of TV per week, they get enormous
exposure to junk food, added to which all that time in front
of the TV means much less exercise. Children also send a great
deal of time in front of the computer or playing video games,
rather than riding bikes, skating or other outdoor activities
which were important pastimes for kids of previous generations.
Many schools have
cut down on the number of hours devoted to sports or PE and
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Parents are rushed
off their feet, with the increasing demands of life in the 21st
century and so have little time to shop, let alone cook nutritious
meals. Much easier to buy a take away or head down to the local
burger or pizza restaurant. With junk food being served in school
canteens and vending machines accessible at all hours of the
day, it is little wonder that children can't resist food and
drink which is full of fat, sugar, processed flour and additives.
Kids are also used
to the extra large portions served in fast food restaurants
and so have become accustomed to eating much more than they
need.
Obese children are
in danger, both of many serious diseases and in danger of psychological
abuse from other children.
Most of us remember
being laughed at occasionally at school, but for children who
are very overweight, this is likely to be a constant problem
which will chip away at their self-esteem and could lead to
depression.
Unless something is done about their lifestyle, overweight kids
will become overweight adults, and if they haven't already succumbed
to related illness while still at school, they are increasingly
likely to do so as adults. So if your children are showing signs
of becoming overweight or just eating too much junk, it may
be time to make a few changes in their diet. It's important
for parents to teach their kids by example - and even if you
aren't overweight, improving your diet will have long term for
your health. Childhood
Obesity Statistics shows how obesity is reaching epidemic
proportions amongst children and teenagers.
Source
BBC
News, 2003
Images
by stock.xchange
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