Parents-The Key to Your Child's Obesity
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The epidemic of child obesity is growing. Child obesity is considered by many to be an epidemic in developed Western countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. According to a 2007 report by the Trust for American's Health, approximately 25 million children ages of 6 to 17 in the United States are either overweight or obese.
The problem of childhood obesity is medically far more serious than most parents realise and it is a very real issue that is affecting millions of children each day. Child obesity can be directly linked to a myriad of health complications as well as to poor quality of life, poor self-esteem and impaired social skills amongst children. Because of the increasing rate of child obesity, paediatricians are noticing health problems among children that were rare in the past.
Obesity is present when total body weight is more than 25 percent fat in boys and more than 32 percent fat in girls. This is calculated using body mass index (BMI). Obesity is also defined when the a person's weight is greater than 20 percent of the Ideal Body Weight (IBW).
Troubles Caused from Obesity
Obesity is one of the worst health risks existing today because of the broad range of other diseases which it causes or makes worse. Obesity is associated with high triglycerides and decreased HDL cholesterol, and is the major cause of type 2 diabetes. Obesity can cause resistance to insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar.
Obesity is associated with significant increases in high cholesterol, coronary artery disease, hyperlipidemia, degenerative joint disease and psychosocial disability. Depression and problems of self image and with body dissatisfaction are also linked to obesity.
Shortening life expectancy is also associated with obesity. This disease is also widely recognised to be a serious medical problem which results in myriad distressing illnesses.
Problems Caused by Child Obesity
Being obese as a child can have a lifelong impact. As well as the same problems that adults face, research has shown that children who are obese or overweight often have weight problems when they grow up. Overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults.
Increased average blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac output when compared to non-obese peers is a symptom on obesity in children. Teasing from their peers is often a problem with overweight children.
Obesity in childhood is known to be associated with abnormal indices of lipolysis, including high cholesterol levels (greater than 170 mg per dL). Being overweight affects school attendance as well, possibly leading to academic problems later.
What can Parents do?
Overeating and exercising too little are usually the causes of childhood obesity. Obese children have been found to be 35% less active on school days and 65% less active on weekends compared to non-obese children. Parents should be role models on exercise and healthy eating and give their children guidance. Children of all ages will enjoy life better if healthy foods exercise are part of their life style.
Children are more likely to be obese at if one or both parents are obese. As children tend to eat what their parents eat, parents can also help their kids by addressing their own weight issues and modelling a healthy lifestyle that they'd like their children to emulate. Parents should also rid their kitchens of junk foods and act as role models by monitoring their eating habits and not eating what they ask their children not to eat.
Part of the problem of child obesity is that the parents rarely exercise as well.
Join your children in backyard sports or consider taking up a sport you can practice with them.
If the child's parents are having marital problems or mentally or physically abusing the child, the stressful environment can make a child turn to food. This may be their only interest in life and he or she can easily overeat at that point.
Parents also must be concerned enough to want to do something about solving their child's obesity. They can set rules for the home that help reinforce the healthy lifestyle.
Parents need to tackle the issue of childhood obesity to ensure that their children grow up to be happy and health adults. Don't be lazy and set your children a good example on exercise and healthy eating.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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