September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month, emphasizing the high childhood obesity rates in the U.S.
Over the past three decades, childhood obesity rates have tripled, and today, one in three children in the United States is overweight or obese. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults.
Childhood obesity can have harmful effects in a variety of ways. Obese children are more likely to have:
- High blood pressure and high cholesterol, which are risk factors for cardiovascular (heart) disease
- Increased risk of type 2 diabetes
- Breathing disorders, such as sleep apnea and asthma
- Joint problems
- Greater risk of social discrimination which may cause poor self-esteem and can hinder academic and social functioning, persisting into adulthood
Obese children are more likely to become obese adults, causing health risks later in life, too. Adult obesity is associated with a number of health conditions including heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers.
Childhood Obesity Factors: Childhood obesity is the result of eating too many calories and not getting enough physical activity. There are a variety of environmental factors that determine whether or not the healthy choice is the easy choice for children and their parents. Environments that promote increased consumption of unhealthy foods and less physical activity are a contributing factor to childhood obesity. It can be difficult for children to make healthy food choices and get enough physical activity when they are exposed to less healthy alternatives in their home, child care center, or school that are influenced by:
- Sugary drinks and less healthy foods. More than half of U.S. middle schools and high schools still offer sugary drinks and less healthy foods for purchase in vending machines and school cafeterias and at fundraising and sporting events.
- Lack of daily, quality physical activity, at home and at school. Most adolescents fall short of the recommendation of at least 60 minutes of aerobic physical activity each day.
- No safe and appealing places to play or be active. Many communities are built in ways that make it difficult or unsafe to be physically active. For some families, getting to parks and recreation centers may be difficult, and public transportation may not be available. For many children, safe routes for walking or biking to school or play may not exist. Half of the children in the U.S. do not have a park, community center and sidewalk in their neighborhood.
- Limited access to healthy affordable foods. Some people have less access to stores and supermarkets that sell healthy, affordable food such as fruits and vegetables, especially in rural, minority and lower-income neighborhoods. Choosing healthy foods is difficult for parents who live in areas with an overabundance of food retailers that tend to sell less healthy foods, such as convenience stores and fast food restaurants.
Your Child’s Healthy Weight and Lifestyle: The good news is that by making just a few lifestyle changes, you can help your child lead a healthier life. To help your child maintain a healthy weight, balance the calories they consume from foods and beverages with the calories they use through physical activity and normal growth. It is important to remember that the goal for overweight or obese children and teens is to reduce the rate of weight gain while allowing normal growth and development. Children and teens should never be placed on a weight reduction diet without the consultation of a health care provider.
You can help your child be aware of what they are eating by developing healthy eating habits, looking for ways to make their favorite dishes healthier, and reducing calorie-rich temptations:
- Provide plenty of vegetables, fruits and whole-grain products
- Include low-fat or fat-free milk or dairy products
- Choose lean meats, poultry, fish, lentils, and beans for protein
- Serve reasonably-sized portions
- Encourage your family to drink lots of water and limit sugar-sweetened beverages
- Limit consumption of sugar and saturated fat
- Look for ways to make their favorite dishes healthier by replacing ingredients with healthier items
- Remove calorie-rich temptations. Although everything can be enjoyed in moderation, reduce high-fat, high-sugar, or salty snacks with healthier options like fruits and vegetables.
Another part of balancing calories is to encourage physical activity and avoid too much sedentary time. Regular physical activity helps strengthen bones, decrease blood pressure, reduce stress and anxiety, increase self-esteem and help with weight management.
Children and teens should participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week, preferably daily. Start adding physical activity to your own daily routine and encourage your child to join you – children imitate adults. Brisk walking, playing tag, jumping rope, playing soccer, swimming and dancing are just a few things your child can do to increase physical activity. Although quiet time for reading and homework is fine, limit the amount of time your child spends watching television, playing video games, or spending time on the computer to no more than two hours per day.
Childhood Obesity in Our Community: Children living in rural areas, such as St. Mary’s County, are more likely than those in metropolitan areas to be overweight or obese. Certain characteristics of rural communities contribute to the problem of childhood obesity. Rural communities face barriers to addressing obesity, such as higher poverty levels and less resources for physical activity and healthy eating. Many rural residents also live in “food deserts” – areas without ready access to fresh, healthy and affordable food. Instead of supermarkets, these communities may be served mainly by fast food restaurants or convenience stores that offer few healthy, affordable food options.
However, one of the greatest assets of a rural environment is the community. Close-knit ties within communities, a spirit of volunteerism, and a network of strategic partners provide the basis for which these challenges can be overcome. Through community action, strategies can be developed to provide nutrition education to parents and facilitate partnerships to make fresh produce more easily available and affordable to its rural residents.
The Healthy St. Mary’s Partnership (HSMP) is a community-driven coalition of public and private partners working together to address priority health issues for St. Mary’s County. One of its action teams, Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL), brings together partners to coordinate action around healthy eating, active living and weight management in St. Mary’s County.
The HEAL action team assesses community needs, identifies evidence-based strategies to address these needs, and fosters collaboration to implement strategies to improve community health. HSMP meetings are open to the public and interested organizations and community members are welcome. For more information about HEAL and to see the schedule of upcoming meetings, please visit the Healthy St. Mary’s Partnership website.
To learn more tips for helping your child maintain a healthy weight, please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.