Childhood Overweight
 
What's the right weight for my child?  This is a common question many parents have...check out this article for some answers.
  
As per Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
Childhood Obesity:  the lurking health risk that isn't going away.
 
There is much in the news lately about rising rates of obesity in American children and adolescents. We hear it and read about it almost daily in the newspapers and on TV. According to National Center for Health Statistics data reported in 2002, 15% of all 6-19 year olds in this country weigh more than they should for their height and age. Many health professionals consider childhood obesity to be at epidemic or at near epidemic levels. It is estimated that 3/4 of the adult American population are overweight.
 
Overweight is a serious health concern for children and adolescents. Data from two NHANES surveys (1976–1980 and 2003–2004) show that the prevalence of overweight is increasing: for children aged 2–5 years, prevalence increased from 5.0% to 13.9%; for those aged 6–11 years, prevalence increased from 6.5% to 18.8%; and for those aged 12–19 years, prevalence increased from 5.0% to 17.4%.
 
Overweight children and adolescents are at risk for health problems during their youth and as adults. For example, during their youth, overweight children and adolescents are more likely to have risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes) than are other children and adolescents.
Overweight children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults. For example, one study found that approximately 80% of children who were overweight at aged 10–15 years were obese adults at age 25 years. Another study found that 25% of obese adults were overweight as children. The latter study also found that if overweight begins before 8 years of age, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe.
 
Obesity raises both emotional and physical health issues. Although the negative impact of being overweight on children's self-esteem is important, attention must also be paid to its impact on children's physical health.
 
Emotional Issues
  • In dominant US culture, "thin is in", and individuals are commonly judged and valued for how they look. Peers and insensitive adults often tease and criticize overweight children.
  • Harsh judgments of others can become internalized and lead children to judge themselves as less valued and less worthy than their normal weight classmates.
  • As children age (especially girls) and try to meet the strict standards of physical attractiveness promoted in the media, failing to live up to unrealistic portrayals often leads to depression and eating disorders.
 
Physical Issues
  • As the numbers of children with excess weight climbs, so do the rates of illnesses linked to being overweight, such as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and osteoarthritis.
  • Many adults have a difficult time imaging that their overweight children could develop illnesses more commonly found in adults, but rising rates of type II diabetes (formerly called adult-onset diabetes) in US children clearly reflect this reality.
  • More children than ever are learning to live with diabetes, a condition that may be avoided by helping young people learn healthy eating and exercise habits that keep them at normal, healthy weights.
 
How Can You Determine Whether Your Child is Overweight? The most obvious answer to this question is to simply look at your child to determine whether his/her weight and height are out of proportion. If you think they may be overweight, ask your school nurse or doctor to evaluate your child.
 
A more objective measure to use to tell if your child is overweight is the BMI or Body Mass Index. A BMI is not a measure of percent of body fat, but an expression of the relationship of a person's weight to his/her height. Standard charts are used to plot this information. Exactly how to determine and plot your child's BMI percentile can be found on the Centers for Disease Control Web site: www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/bmi-for-age.htm.
 
Parents of children who are found to be overweight and with elevated BMI will be notified.
 
Children Need Greater Amounts of Physical Activity Per Day
The National Association for Sport and Physical Education recommends the following:
 
Ø Children should accumulate at least 60 minutes - and up to several hours of age-appropriate physical activity on all, or most days of the week.
Ø Children should participate in several bouts of physical activity lasting 15 minutes or more each day.
Ø Children should participate each day in a variety of age-appropriate physical activities designed to achieve optimal health, wellness, fitness and performance benefits.
Ø Extended periods (periods of two hours or more) of INACTIVITY are discouraged for children, especially during the daytime hours.
Perhaps the single most important time to increase physical activity and decrease sedentary activities such as television watching and computer time is after school between 3 and 6 p.m. Find safe, enjoyable opportunities for your children to be active during this time period. Unless a special time is set aside each day, the opportunity to be active will slip away.
Sedentary living contributes to obesity and chronic diseases later in life. Starting the activity habit early in life is crucial. You can log on to www.aahperd.org for more information on activity guidelines for children.