How to Prevent Childhood Obesity
Baby fat is
something children are supposed to outgrow, not grow in to. According to the
National Center for Health Statistics 2009 to 2010, the percentage of young
people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980. Among children and
teens ages 2 to 19 years, almost 17 percent are considered obese. Extra pounds
and too-big waistlines have serious consequences for children, including
self-esteem, social problems, and increased risk for chronic diseases. Why are
so many children tipping the scales? Experts say there is no single cause of
childhood obesity. Genetics plays a role, but too little physical activity and
poor food choices are more often the culprits.
Too
little activity
Anyone up for a
breathless game of tag, kick-the-can, hopscotch? Childhood should be filled
with hours of energetic play, but children today are less active than past
generations. With more families living in cities, fewer children walk to
school, and parents may keep children indoors more often out of concern for
their safety. Adding to the problem, many schools have cut back on physical
education programs. A national survey reported by the American Academy of
Pediatrics (AAP) in 2003 found that 20 percent of children ages 8 to 16 in the
U.S. are vigorously active only twice a week or less. Instead of getting the
recommended 60 minutes of moderate activity a day, many children spend many
hours a day watching television or playing video and computer games.
Television
troubles
The AAP reports that
more than 25 percent of all 8- to 16-year-olds watch at least four hours of
television daily. Children who watch four or more hours of television per day
are also more likely to be obese than children who watch less than two hours a
day. A study published in the medical journal Pediatrics found that the rate of
obesity rose 2 percent among 12- to 17-year-olds for every additional hour
spent watching television. A study by the Harvard School of Public Health
revealed that the risk of being overweight is more than four times greater in
children who watch more than five hours of television daily compared with those
who watch two hours or less. Just having a television in the bedroom is
associated with being overweight, even in very young children. Inactivity is
not the only problem with increased television viewing. Television exposes
children to food commercials for high-calorie, unhealthy foods specifically
targeted to them.
Reference:
Newspaper of:
also:
http://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?ContentTypeID=1&ContentID=2397
No comments:
Post a Comment