Rising obesity rates have been a nationwide trend since the early 1980s and currently Texas ranks 7th nationally in terms of the highest rate of overweight and obese children and adolescents. A recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine notes that 10% of girls and 14% of boys ages 5 to 14 will develop obesity. A child is four times as likely to become obese if they are overweight at age 5, further proof that early childhood obesity is an indicator of obesity later in life. It is another reason why ensuring a child is healthy from an early age is so important.
What it really comes down to for children struggling with obesity is that they eat what the adults around them eat and if the adults in their lives are inactive, they tend to have pretty sedentary lives themselves. The good thing is that parents can do a lot to help their kids avoid obesity and the negative health effects of being overweight. First and foremost, a parent should talk to their child’s pediatrician regarding the child’s weight. Children’s height and weight must be charted using the appropriate growth charts in order to determine whether or not the child is at an unhealthy weight. Because kids bodies are growing, it’s sometimes difficult to judge a healthy weight by just physical appearance or the number on the scale. If the child’s weight is above the 85th percentile for their age and height they are considered overweight and if they are above the 95th percentile they are considered obese. Parents also need to be cautious when addressing their child’s weight, making sure their approach supports a positive body image. Parents should lead by example: involving the children in planning healthy family meals, going grocery shopping, and the actual meal preparation. This will also make it more likely that the child will eat the healthier food because they were involved in choosing and preparing it. Parents should also engage their kids in physical activity, whether it’s playing basketball at the park or taking the dog out for a long walk.
Programs aimed at curbing childhood obesity and policy changes affecting child nutrition are starting to take effect. The CDC released a study recently stating that the rate of obesity among 2- to 5-year-olds decreased by 43% in the last decade. This is an exciting finding since, like I mentioned earlier, early childhood obesity is a good indicator of obesity in later life. One change in particular was made to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, otherwise known as WIC. They altered the subsidies provided to buy foods in order to incentivize purchases of whole fruits and vegetables over cheese and fruit juices. However, it’s important to note that the rate of obesity of youth overall remained relatively flat, so the effects are seen primarily in the very young. The obesity rate in some age groups of adults actually increased so we still have more work to do with older children and adults.