About Childhood Obesity
 A new study about childhood obesity indicates that more children are obese than previously believed. The study shows that one in five children in the United States is obese and concludes that obesity is the No. 1 health problem for children and adolescents in America today.
Obesity in children has created an increased risk of children developing serious health conditions by age 20 that typically afflict 40-to-60-year-olds.These conditions include high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers and could curtail an individual's life spans by as much as 10 years to 20 years, experts warn.
This startling information about childhood obesity calls for a drastic change in the way children eat and how often they exercise. But to truly understand how to fix the excess weight gain that may be affecting your children's health, it's important to know why children and adults gain weight. It's because their calorie intake exceeds their calorie expenditure. So, if weight loss is the goal, overweight children will need to eat fewer calories and exercise more.
In order to eat fewer calories but still get the proper nutrients for growth and development, children and adolescents should eat three balanced meals a day, while keeping snacking to a minimum. Some dietary suggestions for healthy eating include:
- Eating home-cooked meals containing protein (fish, or low-fat meat), complex carbohydrates (green, leafy vegetables) and natural starches, (potatoes, whole grain breads, and rice, among other foods)
- Drinking 2% milk or low-fat milk and eating low-fat dairy products
- Snacking on fruit, raw vegetables, such as carrots and celery, or homemade low-fat cookies
- Avoiding processed foods, fast foods and sugary soft drinks and high-sugar juices
In addition to eating well, experts recommend at least 30 minutes to 60 minutes of daily exercise for children and adolescents. Exercise should be fun, so give your child plenty of options, including: walking or bicycling to school if it is safe; joining a sports team, such as baseball, softball, tennis, or swimming; taking regular family outings including hikes, trips to a park or playground, or bike rides; and encouraging outdoor imaginative free play wherever and whenever it is safe. Experts also recommend limiting your kids' computer and TV time to two hours or less. Currently, children spend an average of 4.5 hours a day in front of a computer, TV, or video screen.
If you're concerned about the link between childhood and obesity, you need to instill healthy eating and exercise habits in your children at an early age. They will be more likely to grow into happy, productive, disease-free adults and they will pass these habits along to their own children -- a generation of kids who won't have to worry about childhood obesity.
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