One out of three kids is now considered either overweight or
obese.
Now, a couple of pounds of extra body fat are not a health risk for
most people. But the pattern of eating more calories than used causes more and
more fat to build up. The terms
“overweight” and “obese” refer to risks of developing weight-related health
problems. Experts describe the current
trend of an “obesity epidemic” with more young people developing health
problems that used to affect only adults: like aging arteries, high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes, and depression. They are facing heart attacks in their 20s
and 30s and are being set up for a lifetime of chronic diseases.
Although genes strongly influence body type and size, genes alone can't
account for the explosive increase in rates of obesity over the past few
decades. Environment plays a huge role.
So what can parents do?
Kids and teens spend nearly 4 hours a day in front of a TV screen and over
2 additional hours on the computer (outside of schoolwork) and playing video
games. This has been referred to as
“screen time” and easily adds up to 44.5 hours per week -- more than a
full-time job. An average youth spends
900 hours per year in school, yet spends 1500 hours watching television per
year. By the time a person is 65 years
old, they will have spent 9 years, yes 9 years, in front of the TV. The problem
this causes is that it displaces physical activities as well as doing homework,
playing with friends, or spending time with family.
Just one of the easiest calorie savers is to substitute water for
sugary drinks and sodas as this reduces 270 calories per day. A 12 ounce can of
soda contains the equivalent of 10 tsp of sugar, and could realistically be
referred to as liquid candy. Each
additional serving of soda that a child drinks beyond one a day increases their
odds of obesity by 60%.
We are what we eat -- and we eat what we have stocked in the cupboards
and refrigerator. Just replace sugary
snacks with a variety of fruits, vegetables, low-sugar cereals, and low-fat
dairy products.
Set some guidelines for the amount of time you and your children spend
watching television, being on the computer, or playing video games. The
And just one of the absolute best approaches is to be supportive.
Children know if they are overweight and don't need to be reminded or singled
out. For hard-to-manage weight problems,
professional nutrition counseling to learn healthful eating strategies may be a
good idea. Diet and exercise over drug
therapy will almost always be the best option.
At the end of the day family
support is what really counts. You are a role model for your kids. Children
form habits from parents and usually maintain them into adulthood. Focus on
small gradual changes in eating and activity patterns to protect the health of
you and your child now and into the future by forming habits that will last a
lifetime… just one at a time.
Lana M. Saal, M.S. is the Manager of BPS’ Staff Wellness program
holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and a Master of Science degree
in Health Education. She has over 20
years of health and wellness work-life experience and can be reached at Saal.Lana@Brevardschools.org