Obesity is one of the primary contributors to health problems in the United States today.
According to the CDC [1], roughly 42% of the American adult population is obese, with obesity-related health conditions (like Type 2 Diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and even some forms of cancer) being among the leading causes of death—preventable premature death!
It’s absolutely vital that we take steps to combat obesity in little ways every day. If you are a parent, it’s even more important that you are aware that obesity often begins early in life, and that if you’re not careful, your children can become obese—and possibly stay obese for the rest of their lives!
In 2016, the World Health Organization estimated that roughly 41 million children under the age of 5 were either obese or overweight [2]. Let that sink in for a moment. 41 MILLION children under the age of 5. That’s pretty terrifying!
Obesity, once established, is incredibly difficult to reverse. Many children remain obese as they grow into teenagers and adults, and they end up fighting obesity for decades. Not only is obesity incredibly persistent, but it’s a primary contributor to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain forms of cancer. Children who are obese at a young age are at a significantly higher risk of suffering from serious health problems down the road.
It’s estimated [3] that roughly 20% of children between the ages of 6 and 11 are obese—a number that has risen by more than 50% in just the last few years.
But what causes childhood obesity? How do children born healthy wind up become obese?
Here are the main contributing factors to childhood obesity:
Genetics (family history of obesity) and lifestyle (high-stress levels, lack of sleep, etc.) can also contribute to childhood obesity, but it’s the two listed above that are the most prominent factors behind the problem.
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You may be asking yourself, “What can I do about this problem? How can I help my child be healthy and lose weight?”
The truth is that childhood obesity is much harder to assess than adult obesity. Children’s bodies are constantly changing and growing, so what looks like obesity one day could simply be their body preparing to grow. Parents need to be aware that the perception of obesity or overweight isn’t the only indicative factor. Only healthcare professionals are truly the only ones capable of making an accurate assessment.
As parents, the best thing you can do is help to change your child’s lifestyle and eating habits so that they are “healthy”. Rather than focusing on the negative (the obesity), your focus should be on helping them form positive patterns that will manage their weight and keep them healthy for the rest of their lives. Remember, your child has a lot more growing to do, so if you can teach them to take care of their health at a young age, you can prepare them for a longer, healthier life.
Here’s what you can do:
Building healthy life habits takes a lot of hard work and commitment—especially on your part. You don’t have to go overboard and become excessively strict with what you allow in your home, but you should all strive together to make your home a place where you eat and live healthy. That will go a long way toward combatting childhood obesity!
Resources:
[2] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29808786/
[3] https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/nutrition/resources/obparnts.htm
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