“Childhood Obesity: Physical Effects”
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Childhood Obesity: Physical Effects
Obesity can be a problem as early as kindergarten for some
children. Children who suffer from obesity will most
likely endure a lifelong struggle with physical and
emotional consequences.
Physical effects of obesity in children include difficulty
keeping up with physical activities, problems sleeping, and
trouble with breathing. Not only are obese children more
often affected by asthma, they also have problems with
sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is being recognized with more
frequency as the incidence of pediatric obesity rises.
Clinically significant effects on learning and memory
function have been documented in children with obstructive
sleep apnea as a consequence of obesity. (Must, Aviva,
Ph.D., ET AL, 2003 "Effects of Obesity on Morbidity in
Children and Adolescents" Nutrition in Clinical Care, p. 8).
Childhood obesity clearly impacts the health of the growing
child. Furthermore, it is considered an important disease
because of its link to long-term health problems including
type II diabetes, hypertension, some forms of cancer, lack
of energy and asthma. The incidence of type II diabetes
in children is expected to grow in parallel with the rise
in obesity. Onset diabetes in childhood is a predictor of
early onset of diabetes complications including
cardiovascular disease, kidney failure and amputations
(Must, p. 131).
Approximately 60% of overweight five to
ten year old children experience at least one associated
biochemical or clinical cardiovascular risk factor, such as
hyperlipidemia, elevated blood pressure, or increased
insulin levels, and 25% have two or more (Koplan, JP, Deitz
WH., "Calorie Imbalance and Public Health Policy" The
Journal of the American Medical Association, 1999. p 1579).
Children from lower income families are at a greaterdisadvantage because the majority of this populationresides in neighborhoods with intimidating playgrounds. Concerned with street safety, children are often keptinside by parents and they tend to spend more time in frontof the television or playing video games. Playgrounds in lower income neighborhoods tend to befilthy, with broken bottles, trash and graffiti coveringthe park. Although the playground has basketball courts,swings and jungle gyms, they are generally not childfriendly. The parks are usually populated with youngadults hanging out, intimidating the younger children. This is not a safe environment for children to play in andnot one in which children could safely play unsupervised.
Schools are contributing to childhood obesity by failing tomake physical education an important part of thecurriculum. Children don't get enough exercise at school. Time allotted for gym is inadequate and infrequent. Teachers can try to compensate by providing their classeswith additional outside play time. The physical educationprogram is extremely vital and deserving of more attention.
Implementation of after school programs that emphasizephysical activities such as kickball and basketball shouldbe a priority. There is a need for an after schoolathletic program at the elementary level to augment thephysical education program and provide a safe, healthyenvironment for lower income children as well. This wouldbe a benefit for children as well as parents, and animportant factor in reducing obesity in children.
About the Author:
Gurion Blattman is a lifelong athlete and fitness expertwith over 20 years experience in the health and fitnessindustry. A graduate of Northeastern University, he is aCertified Professional Trainer by the National Academy ofSports Medicine and is based in Darien, Connecticut. Formore information or for a complimentary consultationcontact info@gurionblattman .com. http://www.gurionbl attman.com
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“ Facts About Childhood Obesity In America”
Free toddlers activity & child discipline guide parenting article about child obesity
The percentage of obese or overweight children in America hasroughly doubled between 1971 and 2000. The prevalence ofoverweight and obese children has increased from 15% in 1971 tomore than 30% in 2000.
Health problems increase with obesity on a rise. Obesity amongchildren is a health crisis in the United States and aterrifying reality. Some experts claim that if something is notdone to stop childhood obesity immediately we will witness awhole generation becoming twice as heavy as its parents andgrandparents were, with this gain of weight other health risksare becoming more and more evident and have a huge effect onlarger groups.
So what should we as parents do?
It would be unrealistic to think of eliminating television fromyour child's life, though this is a popular concept. There aremany programs on television these days that are beneficial toyour child's development. According to many reports watchingtelevision is the most engaging activity, except sleeping, formany kids. Although, as a result, kids who spend more timewatching television also eat more of the low-nutrient andcalorie-dense foods.
Any outdoor activity that is fun will teach a young child tolove and appreciate what lies outside the 40" Sony televisionset. It has also been found that children who watch more thanfive hours of television a day are almost five times more likelyto be overweight than children who watch two hours or less –with excessive TV viewing considered to contribute to 60 percentof the risk of obesity in children.
Parents can set a good example by providing healthy meals andnot eating junk food themselves, but it's important to allowsome treats, as being over strict is likely to cause frictionand could be counterproductive.
It is clear that any long-term solution for obese or overweightchildren in America must be fought on four major fronts:physical activity, sedentary behavior, socioeconomic status, andeating habits. This is easier said than done; especially whenemotional eating or an unobserved food addiction may fueladverse eating habits.
Children's lifestyles are generally a reflection of those whoraise them so parents need to figure heavily in any strategiesput forward to improve the health and well being of the nextgeneration.
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