Most of us would be in agreement that childhood obesity in America is a growing threat to our children's futures. Yet only a few of us are really aware of all the issues behind this complex topic and the reasons why we are where we are today. Why did this phenomenon develop and what can we do about it? Glad that you asked...
I have listed the culprits in no particular order -- keep in mind that there are other contributors but I have chosen to mention the ones that seem to be the major players... You will also see that many of these, if not all, are realted to at least another category as well.
1. Diet - What, where, and how much kids eat such as significantly larger portions and increased number of calories per food item.
2. Exercise - In general, we lead less active lifestyles. We opt for taking the car or motorized scooter to run errands or go to school instead of using our good ol' pair of legs or ride a bike. We also have less green spaces like parks available to communities and, by the way, where did Phys Ed in schools go?
3. Technology - Concerning obesity, we have shot ourselves in the foot on this one. In general, kids today prefer sitting hours on end in front of the TV or computer.
4. Always in a hurry - The rushed lives of both parents and children result in less fresh, healthy home-cooked meals at the dinner table with the family and ingestion of higher calorie-dense fast foods. Not to mention the lack of ability or energy to squeeze in just a bit of exercise in a day.
5. Financial pressures - As we are all feeling at this point in time, economic issues cause many parents to work longer hours, double jobs, be less at home, and thus provide less supervision and guidance to their children.
6. Less sleep - It is very interesting to note that the latest research has shown that if you are deprived of sleep, you have a tendency to not only be overweight, but to be obese.
7. Psychological - Yes, it is very true that mind affects the body... especially stress. Stress has a nasty affect on our bodies and minds and obesity is no exception to this. Eating disorders are increasing even as we speak.
8. Health problems - Sometimes there are hidden medical issues that make it very difficult to manage weight such as abnormalities in the thyroid gland and hormone or certain medications used.
9. Out-of-home meals - More and more children are eating more than one meal at school and home-prepared box lunches have often become a thing of the past. The need to offer more healthy options at schools has definitely been shown and many have already started to make some vital changes.
10. Miscellaneous - Other contributors have included an obesity virus and obesity genes that could explain some people's predisposition to gaining weight while others' good fortune to not have this battle to fight.
To make sure that we continue on the same page, please note that it is important to not put the blame on one particular aspect or to not point any fingers at anyone or any one thing. As you can see, childhood obesity, as the problem we recognize it to be today, is made up of many complicated pieces. It IS of utmost importance to look honestly and openly at our own lives and families and re-consider those parts that we may have some control over. What is it, truly, that we know that each of us can do to turn this health epidemic around? It is different for each of us yet each has the potential to be equally powerful in the fight against childhood obesity.
As the Top 10 series continues over the next few weeks we will be taking each culprit behind childhood obesity, one by one, and discussing it in further detail providing suggestions and possible solutions.
Picture by Bruno Bernier, PhotoXpress
For more info: USDA my pyramid, CDC contributing factors to obesity
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