Childhood Obesity

a few basics..............

1. never encourage your child to finish their plate, sure make them try one spoon of new foods to encourage wide tastes but none of this finish your meal to get sweets lines.

2. do NOT allow junk food to become rewards or treats. try not to restrict them if you do NOT make a big deal about bad things your kids wont either. my kids would buy a dozen lolly show bags every year and eat no more than a handful of them. the rest just got thrown away. when they got to about 11 we did the whole would you rather spend your money on something else as you just throw it out. by then they where old enough to see they could have it if they wanted but make informed choices,

3. age apropriate meal, yes takeaway is a way of life accept it but buying a 6 year old a big mac fries and coke is nuts, happy meal is apropriate.

4. fruit juice is pure sugar you might as well be feeding your kids coke. give them fruit and start them right with water ONLY in their bottle the few weeks before you take them of milk. no child ever died from only having water or milk in a bottle.
I allow my kids now teens to deink diet coke, THAT i know is very contraversal, but is a choice I made.

5. make your kids lunchsthe ones every other kid wants to eat. every kid would offer to trade my kids healthy lunch. they are now in year 12 and refuse to go to the canteen since primary school.

bottom line is dont be a food nazi make them make the healthy choices and YOU watch their weight sure kids go though phases mine are upto 10kg to heavy on occasion. But that ahould be it, letting it get higher than that is not puppy fat not a growth spurt it is a real problem that needs a plan to work.

applesauce

As if the negative impact on mental health weren’t bad enough, the actual physical health ramifications for obese children are astounding. Children today are being diagnosed with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type two diabetes, and bone and joint problems due to the impact of their weight on joints.

These, particularly the high blood pressure and high cholesterol, are dangerous health conditions that can lead to cardiovascular disease, stroke and even death. Children of past generations rarely were confronted with these types of health concerns.
we have to educate our children about the problems of Overweight…I find an interesting way to educate our kids which is through medical comic books as they are attractive interesting and explaining various diseases in efficient manner so they will learn it quite easily. Visit this link for more details.

http://www.kidzcomics.com/medical-graphic-novels-and-books-explaining-diseases-to-kids/medikidz-explain-overweight.html

interesting reading Hayley.
I feel so sorry for kids who are obese. I have seen some big kids and I was never that big as a kid but was a bit overweight.

Kids spend more time on their bums now though so in a way it's to be expected. Not many kids walk to school because of danger so that knocks out some daily exercise. Then, they have computer games and stuff like that ( i'm not up with the new technology ) so dont play outside as much.

Plus, sport in school is no longer for fun, it's competitive so kids who aren't good will get turned off.

So it stands to reason that kids now are at a higher risk of obesity.

Having sat on my bum for 6 weeks post pelvic surgery, I lost no weight. My daily exercise was a 300 metre round trip to my mail box and back. Even when I was at work and doing all my own running around and no extra exercsise I was loosing so just goes to show how sitting on the botty is not good.

I must say I notice since I have lost my bum, it does get number quicker when I sit down for long periods of time.

I honestly think that the national guide to how obese someone isn't accurite. There are more obese children now but also they need to change what is classed as overweight, obese etc.
if you saw a child that is classed as overweight you would probably look at them and think that they look healthy.
:)
what there is to eat now days is a big problem. Less 1 meat 3 vege more takeaway, and bigger serving at takeaways. i.e about 15-20 years ago a meal at KFC was
2 pieces of chicken
1 colsaw
medium chips
bread roll
drink

now it is
1 burger
3 wicked wings
medium-large chips
colsaw
potato and gravy
bread roll
chips

I realise this is alot of reading, but here is another article I found in The Age although this one tells a different story...


Obesity epidemic exaggerated: report
May 31, 2008
Australia's childhood obesity epidemic has been exaggerated and is only increasing in lower-income families.
New research has called into question whether the millions of dollars being allocated for prevention programs should be better targeted, a News Ltd newspaper reports.
The research questions whether money should be targeted at the highest-risk groups, rather than focused on the general population.
The findings are based on measurements taken from thousands of Australian children in 2000 and 2006 in two nationally representative samples.
They found that the growth in childhood obesity overall has slowed to a crawl and the only statistically significant increases are now among boys and girls from low-income homes.
The overall obesity rate rose only slightly from 6.0 per cent in 2000 to 6.8 per cent in 2006.
Researchers said the increase was not statistically significant.
Obesity among low-income boys almost doubled from 5.4 per cent in 2000 to 9.3 per cent in 2006.
Among low-income girls, the obesity rate increased from 3.9 per cent in 2000 to 6.8 per cent in 2006.
Jenny O'Dea, associate professor of child health research at the University of Sydney, told The Weekend Australian there was "no doubt that it (childhood obesity) has been exaggerated".
However, federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon said obesity was "a significant challenge in health and a cause of several major chronic diseases - and will remain a priority for the Rudd Government".
Australian Medical Association (AMA) president Rosanna Capolingua said this afternoon while the study sharpened focus on the problem affecting lower-income families, Australia has general problems with childhood obesity.
"It is trivialising to say that childhood obesity in Australia has been overplayed as a problem," she said.
"The rates are still increasing even if they are not increasing at a significant rate. If we are getting to a plateau then 'hooray', but we've still got a lot of work to do with the kids we do have problems with, and it's not just about obesity, it's about overweight as well.
"You only have to walk down a street in Australia to know we have a problem.''
AAP

Links:

www.theage.com.au

I also found this on the same site, very interesting reading...although pretty scary.

Hayley

Just like child obesity in America and child obesity worldwide, child obesity in Australia has increased greatly in the past few years.
Some statistics about child obesity in Australia


According to the Australian government:


An estimated 1.5 million people under the age 18 are considered overweight or obese.


This means about 20-25% of Australian children are overweight or obese.


The proportion of overweight or obese children in Australian is increasing at an accelerating rate. This pattern, showing up since the 1980’s, is similar internationally.
Children are getting less aerobic exercise.


The amount of aerobic fitness is decreasing about .4% a year.
Between 1985 and 1997 obesity levels in the population doubled.


While obesity increased 2-4 times, being overweight increased 60-70%. This shows signs not just of increasing, but accelerating.
If weight gain continues the path it is following, by the year 2020, 80% of all Australian adults and a third of all children will be overweight or obese.


A study in Queensland showed that up to 30% of Australian children have low fitness levels while 60% have poor motor skills.


There is an indication that walking and cycling are used less for transportation for Australian children. Studies also seem to show that those among the least fit of Australian children are the group deteriorating the fastest over time.
In Australian schools, physical education is being reduced even with no dispute about how important physical education is.
50% of obese adolescents continue to be obese as adults.


Studies show that relative body weight is most often carried from childhood to adulthood. Once a child or adolescent is obese or overweight, they are not likely to reduce it as an adult.
Obesity in a child or adult is defined as a condition where excess fat has accumulated to the point that it can impair health.
A primary cause of obesity is an energy imbalance.


An intake of high energy foods, combined with a low level of exercise or a sedentary lifestyle is a cause of this energy imbalance.
One study estimates that for every 1% increase in the proportion of physically active people, nearly 122 lives can be saved that would have been lost to coronary heart disease, colon cancer, and type 2 diabetes. All of these diseases have links to obesity.
It is estimated that in 1995-1996 the cost of obesity in Australia was between $680-$1239 million.


Obesity as a child is linked to an increase in cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in an adult regardless of the adult weight. Being overweight as a child brings and an increase for heart related diseases like high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and high blood sugar.
Child obesity is also related to many medical conditions like respiratory disorders, orthopedic problems, release of growth hormone, arthritis, and gastric problems.
A study estimated that less than 70% of girls that were year 8 and year 10 students remained adequately active over winter in 1997.


Basically, what you can see from statistics like these is that being overweight or obesity in a child is increasing.


A primary cause can be an increasing lack of exercise compared to an intake of high energy foods. It must also be noted that once a child is obese or overweight, it can be difficult to lose that weight during a lifetime. Obesity in a child may also lead to an increase in obesity related diseases.
Also in the report on child obesity in Australia, were statistics showing that there in an increase in homes with both parents at work. Also noted was an increase between 1986 and 1999 where a sole parent was working.
A lot must be done to reverse child obesity in Australia and child obesity worldwide.


An emphasis must be made on the need for exercise and eating the right foods. Also, we need to understand not just how a child becomes obese, but the why they become obese may be just as important. If nothing is done, the possible 2020 statistic of 80% obese or overweight Australian adults may become true from today’s child obesity in Australia.

I have been hearing so much about overweight children that it makes my head spin. When I was a child I was maybe one of 10 kids that were over weight in my entire primary school, and that was only a few years ago. Now, obesity is everywhere you look. My partner and I would love to have children one day, and raise them up to be healthy children. And that is what all parents aim for isnt it? So how do kids of 5yrs old, become obese? So I am going to add some research here and share what I find. If anyone else can add anything, wether it be personal experience, articles, or anything, I would love to read about it. This thread is not meant to judge or point the finger at parents of obese or over weight children, I was over weight too, unlike my three brothers all tall lean and mean!! So this is a quest to find out how, why and what are the signs of the beginning of child obesity.


This is a start, I got this info from a site called Child Obesity

Kids of all ages will enjoy their lives much more if they learn to eat healthy foods and to get plenty of exercise. If your child does not seem as happy as she could be, take some action that will put her life on a path of healthy living that also will make life much more enjoyable.
Obesity in a child starts with what the child eats.


A child who is obese could also be having thyroid gland problems, this will make the work more difficult. The calories that turn into fat and fat itself, come from somewhere, and that is in the food. Often, diets and diet foods do not help. Why? Because diet foods will tend to make your child hungrier rather than energize their body.
Instead of dictating all food choices, try a little bit more pleasant approach.


Let the child make a few of the choices about food. Take your child to the grocery store and let him or her choose from the fruits and vegetables. Does she prefer apples to oranges? Letting the child choose a favorite fruit will make the process much more enjoyable. Keep beverage choices to juice, milk or water. If the child has a wish for something sweet, a bowl of sweet juicy fruit gives them the much needed vitamins and minerals and satisfies their sweet tooth. Keep baked treats, ice cream, or sweet treats for special occasions and keep it controlled. These kinds of treats should not be a daily event. To keep meals interesting, make sure to vary the diet and help your child pick a variety of healthy foods to eat properly as a general goal every day.
Obesity in a child is not something that disappears overnight.


Eating properly is the first step. Getting plenty of exercise is the next step. Find a physical hobby your child likes, perhaps basketball or swimming, or tennis. Something that will help the child keep active. This will help them to become healthy and yet still enjoy the exercise they are getting. Join your child and both you and your child will be healthier and happier.
Obesity in a child can be serious.


It can cause or be caused by serious medical problems like thyroid dysfunction or diabetes. If your child is starting to show symptoms of obesity, have him or her checked by a doctor. The child’s doctor may also be able to help with approaches to helping your child lose weight.
Additional Articles and Resources on Child Obesity


Symptoms Of Child Obesity


Are you aware of the symptoms of child obesity?
Chilldren and Eating Disorders


You may not even be aware of the possibility, but
your child may be suffering from an eating disorder.
Thyroid Disfunction In Children


If you suspect a thyroid dysfunction in your child,


make sure to get the child to the doctor right away.


Statistics Of Child Obesity
Statistics gathered by use of clinical studies and
trials show that for the past 30 years...