Childhood Obesity By Alfreda Meeks, Urban Regional Extension Agent, Montgomery County

Obesity is a growing and serious health concern for children. In the United States, five to twenty-five percent of our children are obese. Obesity causes emotional and physical problems such as altered body images, depression, and poor self-esteem. Obese children also run the risk of becoming obese adults.

Obesity is the excessive accumulation of body fat, and it occurs when the total body weight is more than 25 percent fat in boys and more than 32 percent fat in girls. Heredity, environment, and social factors are a few of the leading factor s that influence obesity. For example, infants born to overweight mothers are usually less active and gain more weight within the first three months of birth. The risk of becoming obese is greater among children who have two obese parents. In addition, environmental factors such as diet and physical activity contribute to childhood obesity. The average American child spends several hours each day watching television. Obesity is greater among children and adolescents who frequently watch television. Not only is little energy expended watching television, but many children concurrently consume high calorie snacks. If an infant is obese, it does not mean it will become an obese child. However, it is possible that early childhood obesity will persist through the life span.

Obesity presents numerous problems for children. It is the leading cause of pediatric hypertension. It is the leading cause of type II diabetes mellitus. Obesity also increases the risk of coronary heart disease. In fact, increased stress on weight bearing joints, lower self-esteem, and poor peer relations are just some of the problems obese children face.

It is easier to prevent obesity than it is to treat it. Prevention focuses in large on parent education in early childhood and proper nutrition. In cases where preventive measures cannot totally overcome the influence of heredity, environment, and social factors, parent education should focus on building self-esteem and address the psychological issues. Obesity treatment programs for children and adults rarely include weight loss as a goal. Instead these programs work on slowing or halting weight gain so the child will grow into his or her body weight over a period of months or years.

It is important that parents begin to work with their child as soon as a child begins to gain weight. Intervention measures should be followed when a parent notices a pattern of weight gain that might lead to obesity. Physical activity, diet management, and behavioral modification are three of the best intervention tools available.

In order for children to become healthy members of society, parents and educators are encouraged to teach young people about the importance of proper nutrition, good health, exercise, and hygiene by following the MyPyramid guidelines established by the United States Department of Agriculture. Learning how to make proper eating choices and including physical activity, can lead to maintaining a positive self-concept and ultimately, increase self-esteem.

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