The following are some facts and statistics about the present childhood obesity epidemic:
Childhood obesity is out of control. In 1982 a mere 4 % of children were overweight. This number rose to 16% in 1994. As of 2001 25 % of all white children and 33% of African American and Hispanic children were overweight. Hospital costs associated with childhood obesity went from $35 Million (1979) to $127 Million (1999)
Early signs of type II diabetes (impaired glucose intolerance) are showing up in one in four overweight children. 60% of overweight children already have one risk factor for heart disease.
85% of children dianosed with type II diabetes are obese the shocking fact about this is that between 8%-45% of newly diagnosed cases of childhood diabetes are type II. 4% of Childhood diabetes was type II in 1990, that number has risen to approximately 20%.
These facts and statistics are shocking. Here is some support if you are dealing with this situation:
How to Get Your Kids to Eat Healthy
This is another helpful site. Children are not the only ones at risk.
Anne Collins Weightloss Program
References: www.annecollins.com
Monday, March 12, 2007
How to Combat Childhood Obesity
Most parents' biggest worry is that their child will be unhappy - that their child will be picked on and unpopular because she is fat. From a teacher's perspective I can completely understand these motives, but these days my concerns about overweight children and childhood obesity are far more serious than a little name-calling.
While name-calling can be devastating, what's scary these days is the growing evidence that childhood obesity leads to serious health complications. Too often parents think their child will "grow out" of their weight problem. However, doctors today find that they're diagnosing children as young as ten or eleven years old with conditions that were once thought to be for middle-aged people only. Diabetes, heart conditions, and arthritis - all of these conditions have a clear established connection with obesity, whether it is childhood obesity or adult obesity does not matter. The fact is, health conditions related to obesity do not discriminate based on age. It's enough to scare any parent into extreme methods to try to help their child lose weight, but there are healthy ways to accomplish this weight loss goal.
First: Consult a Doctor
Don't decide on your own that your child needs to lose weight. Many of us have grown up with distorted body images that we pass on to our children. Be sure that you're not seeing your child through your own misconceptions about ideal weight, and let a doctor make the judgment call.
If your doctor agrees that your child is overweight, your best bet is to serve up a healthy daily diet within the USDA Food Pyramid Guidelines and encourage daily exercise to help speed up his metabolism and start burning more calories.
Beyond that, here are some more weight loss tips for overweight children:
1. Put everyone in the family on a weight loss diet. Since the best way for your child to lose weight is to eat a healthy diet, doesn't it make sense that your entire family will benefit from eating the same way? Your overweight child will feel far less deprived if everyone is eating the same foods.
2. Serve an after school snack. It may be tempting to cut out the after school snacks, but the truth is you'll be doing more harm than good. The human body was never designed for the "three square meals a day'" regimen. A healthy snack in the mid-afternoon will actually speed up your child's metabolism and, at the same time, ward off the "I'm starving" feeling that leads to overeating at dinner.
3. Shop smart. Don't buy the chips and cookies at the supermarket, but instead grab the low-fat yogurt, fresh fruit and fruit cups, sugar free applesauce and other natural treats. If you make healthy snacks available and unhealthy ones difficult to find, you'll keep temptation out of the way.
4. Exercise with your overweight child regularly. Instead of having your overweight child sit in front of the computer or zone out with his iPod, pull together a neighborhood game of kickball or soccer, or simply take a walk around the block as a family. If you can get a family membership to a health club with a pool, make a family swim a once-a-week event. This weight loss tip does much more than help your overweight child lose weight; it also creates a better relationship between you and your children.
5. Don't cook too much food. Instead, cook just the right amount. In other words, only prepare one portion per family member. That heads off requests for seconds before they even start asking.
Having overweight children, or worse, being confronted with childhood obesity, is a serious matter. Yes, the name calling and social issues are significant, but more importantly, the health risks associated with overweight children and childhood obesity can be life threatening. By following the weight loss tips above, your overweight child will lose weight and build better social relationships with friends and family.
While name-calling can be devastating, what's scary these days is the growing evidence that childhood obesity leads to serious health complications. Too often parents think their child will "grow out" of their weight problem. However, doctors today find that they're diagnosing children as young as ten or eleven years old with conditions that were once thought to be for middle-aged people only. Diabetes, heart conditions, and arthritis - all of these conditions have a clear established connection with obesity, whether it is childhood obesity or adult obesity does not matter. The fact is, health conditions related to obesity do not discriminate based on age. It's enough to scare any parent into extreme methods to try to help their child lose weight, but there are healthy ways to accomplish this weight loss goal.
First: Consult a Doctor
Don't decide on your own that your child needs to lose weight. Many of us have grown up with distorted body images that we pass on to our children. Be sure that you're not seeing your child through your own misconceptions about ideal weight, and let a doctor make the judgment call.
If your doctor agrees that your child is overweight, your best bet is to serve up a healthy daily diet within the USDA Food Pyramid Guidelines and encourage daily exercise to help speed up his metabolism and start burning more calories.
Beyond that, here are some more weight loss tips for overweight children:
1. Put everyone in the family on a weight loss diet. Since the best way for your child to lose weight is to eat a healthy diet, doesn't it make sense that your entire family will benefit from eating the same way? Your overweight child will feel far less deprived if everyone is eating the same foods.
2. Serve an after school snack. It may be tempting to cut out the after school snacks, but the truth is you'll be doing more harm than good. The human body was never designed for the "three square meals a day'" regimen. A healthy snack in the mid-afternoon will actually speed up your child's metabolism and, at the same time, ward off the "I'm starving" feeling that leads to overeating at dinner.
3. Shop smart. Don't buy the chips and cookies at the supermarket, but instead grab the low-fat yogurt, fresh fruit and fruit cups, sugar free applesauce and other natural treats. If you make healthy snacks available and unhealthy ones difficult to find, you'll keep temptation out of the way.
4. Exercise with your overweight child regularly. Instead of having your overweight child sit in front of the computer or zone out with his iPod, pull together a neighborhood game of kickball or soccer, or simply take a walk around the block as a family. If you can get a family membership to a health club with a pool, make a family swim a once-a-week event. This weight loss tip does much more than help your overweight child lose weight; it also creates a better relationship between you and your children.
5. Don't cook too much food. Instead, cook just the right amount. In other words, only prepare one portion per family member. That heads off requests for seconds before they even start asking.
Having overweight children, or worse, being confronted with childhood obesity, is a serious matter. Yes, the name calling and social issues are significant, but more importantly, the health risks associated with overweight children and childhood obesity can be life threatening. By following the weight loss tips above, your overweight child will lose weight and build better social relationships with friends and family.
Dont Let Your Child Be The Fat Kid
Are you scared of your child being labelled the fat kid at school/ kindy? Do you find your child gets more enjoyment from sitting in front of the TV by themselves than playing outside with other children? This is mostly due to the fact that they are used to sitting in front of the TV however with a bit of encouragement they actually will get up off the lounge and go outside and play .
Chances are you have a child that needs to be encouraged and enticed into some kind of physical activity. However even if your child is of small stature but does no exercise this is just as unhealthy as a child that is overweight and does no exercise. Lets face it there are people out there that can eat and eat and don't have to exercise and never put on weight and others that eat the same amounts and put on weight but that is a fact of life that is unfair but true. If you look at all the food calorie counters it all comes down to energy in energy out and that is the key.
What you eat need to be burnt off so those people that eat and eat actually do more physical activity than the one that gains a lot of weight. The reason I say this is because the books all say if you don't do any activity at all during the day you can have this many calories and if you do a walk or run or 30 minutes of physical activity you can have a lot more calories.
The key is healthy food and exercise but without letting your child know what you are doing gradually change the foods that you are giving your child to eat. Buy them a skipping rope, balls , hula hoop anything that is designed to make physical activity fun. Get out and play with them it wont hurt you to get in a bit of extra exercise but it is also quality time with your kids. I know you probably have a very hectic schedule but go out there start them off then do what you need to do inside in a place where you can see what they are doing and encourage them so they will keep going because when the exercise thing is new to them they will get the urge to stop and go back to the TV. Persist and you wont have to worry about your child being labelled the fat kid anymore.
Chances are you have a child that needs to be encouraged and enticed into some kind of physical activity. However even if your child is of small stature but does no exercise this is just as unhealthy as a child that is overweight and does no exercise. Lets face it there are people out there that can eat and eat and don't have to exercise and never put on weight and others that eat the same amounts and put on weight but that is a fact of life that is unfair but true. If you look at all the food calorie counters it all comes down to energy in energy out and that is the key.
What you eat need to be burnt off so those people that eat and eat actually do more physical activity than the one that gains a lot of weight. The reason I say this is because the books all say if you don't do any activity at all during the day you can have this many calories and if you do a walk or run or 30 minutes of physical activity you can have a lot more calories.
The key is healthy food and exercise but without letting your child know what you are doing gradually change the foods that you are giving your child to eat. Buy them a skipping rope, balls , hula hoop anything that is designed to make physical activity fun. Get out and play with them it wont hurt you to get in a bit of extra exercise but it is also quality time with your kids. I know you probably have a very hectic schedule but go out there start them off then do what you need to do inside in a place where you can see what they are doing and encourage them so they will keep going because when the exercise thing is new to them they will get the urge to stop and go back to the TV. Persist and you wont have to worry about your child being labelled the fat kid anymore.
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