Childhood Obesity - A Growing Epidemic

Article written by Christine Arulappen.

Obesity is a growing problem, in fact the World Health Organization (WHO) has stated that obesity is a major global issue both for the developed and the developing world. But what is even more worrying is WHO’s suggestion that “childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st Century”.⁴ Cases of overweight and obese children has increased dramatically over the past 10-15 years compared to previous decades.² Obesity has some major health implications for our kids. Illnesses associated with being overweight or obese in childhood include:

Certain cancers (specifically breast and bowel cancer)¹

Type 2 diabetes¹

High blood pressure¹

Coronary heart disease¹

Arthritis and joint problems¹

Sleep related disorders such as sleep apnea¹

Menstrual problems¹

Being overweight or out of shape can also have major effects on a child’s psychological and social wellbeing, affecting their self esteem well into adult life. Obese children and adults are more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and loneliness as a result of societal discrimination and victimization.² Clearly obesity is a complex problem with many contributing factors.

So why are we in this predicament?

There are a number of contributing factors to the childhood obesity problem. Data suggests that children are consuming less fruits and vegetables and more “energy dense” foods that are higher in calories and fats.¹ Children’s food choices are largely influenced by the advertising of these foods that personally appeal to a child’s sensitivities as well as targeting parents.² Foods that are high in sugar but low in fat are directly marketed as healthy food choices so that kids can grow up to be strong and capable adults. These marketing campaigns directly play on the emotional sensitivities of parent’s wanting to give their kids a head start in life.

Bad food choices coupled with a more sedentary lifestyle is also a major contributor. Studies have found that children between the ages of 5-14 were more likely to watch television and play computer games than enjoy bike riding in their leisure time.² Studies also reveal that children who spent more time watching television are more likely to consume high fat foods, fast foods, soda, and eat fewer fruits and vegetables.³ These studies also show strong associations between increased television viewing and an increased prevalence of childhood obesity.

Finding a solution

There are a number of things that parents can do to prevent the long-term health implications of obesity. Try to:

Encourage your kids to eat a balanced and healthy diet. You may want to have a look at our article titled 'Plant fruit & veg in your child's diet!' for more information on including these in their diet.

Get your kids active by building more physical activity into their daily routine. Walk to school, kick the ball around the yard or organize a regular social soccer, tennis or cricket night.

Why not bring back the old tradition of eating a meal around the dinner table as often as possible.
Boost your child’s self-esteem by being careful not to label them as “fat”, “chubby”, “plump” or even “big” and by praising and regularly showing love and affection.

As we can see, childhood obesity is a growing problem. Our next article in this series will look at healthy eating guidelines for children and a future article will provide tips on ways to encourage your child to become more active.

References

Gillman, Claire, 2007. Getting your kids active: How to have Active Healthy Kids. A & C Black Publishers Ltd, Great Britain.
Inglis, Victoria et al - Centre for Community Child Health Royal Children’s Hospital, 2003. To promote awareness of the risk factors that contribute to childhood obesity and assess the ability of parents to develop shared strategies to reduce such risks [Online]. Available at http://www.rch.org.au/emplibrary/ccch/Ozchild_report.pdf [Accessed 5th June 2009].
Matheson, Donna M. et al, 2004. Children’s food consumption during television watching. Am J Clin Nutr [Online] 79 p. 1088-1094. Available at http://www.ajcn.org/ [Accessed 25th May 2009].
World Health Organization, 2009. Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health-Obesity and Overweight [Online]. Available at http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/facts/obesity/en/ [Accessed 9th June 2009].

Last updated 06 August 2009