Childhood Obesity Epidemic Continues to Rise By Dr. Donnie Cook, Extension Health & Nutrition Specialist

Obesity is an epidemic affecting millions of people around the world and it continues to rise. Individuals with a body mass index score greater than 24.9 increase their chances of being diagnosed with a chronic disease such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and some forms of cancer. Approximately, two-thirds of adults and one-fifth of children in the United States are considered overweight or obese.

Currently in the United States, 16.3 percent of children and adolescents between the ages of 2 and 19 are classified as overweight or obese. Overweight is defined as weighing too much, whereas obesity means having too much body fat, resulting from an imbalance between energy intake and energy output. However both terms mean that a person's weight is greater than what is considered healthy. Being obese or overweight can reduce your life expectancy and eventually impact other medical, physiological, and psychological conditions.

Childhood Obesity Facts

• Overweight and obese children and adolescents are more likely to develop type-2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, asthma, liver damage, orthopedic problems, arthritis, and skin conditions.
• Childhood obesity contributes to an early onset of puberty.
• Overweight and obese individuals have higher incidences of high cholesterol and elevated blood pressure levels.
• Sleep apnea in overweight and obese children affects learning and memory.
• Overweight adolescents are at greater risk of becoming obese adults.
• Overweight children are at an increased risk of being teased and bullied. They may also have low self-esteem and poor body image.

What can Parents or Guardians do?
In order to combat childhood obesity, parents and guardians can help children to:

• Change eating habits by limiting junk and fast foods, including foods high in fat content.
• Start a weight-management program.
• Plan meals and make better food selections like increasing the daily intake of fruits and vegetables.
• Control food portions and increase physical activity.
• Watch what they eat at school and limit their hours watching television or working on the computer.

Contact your local Extension office to find out more about good nutrition and health practices. You can also visit www.aces.edu or call Dr. Donnie Cook at 256-372-4983.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2009, October 20). Childhood overweight and obesity. Overweight and Obesity. Retrieved December 14, 2009.

Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. (2004, September). Preventing childhood obesity: Health in the balance. Report. Retrieved December 14, 2009.

National Institutes of Health. (2008, November). Understanding adult obesity. Weight Control Information Network. Retrieved January 11, 2010.

Torgan, C. (2002, June). Childhood obesity on the rise. The NIH: Word on Health. Retrieved December 14, 2009.

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