Childhood Obesity
Economist John Kenneth Galbraith has said that more people die in this country of too much food than of too little. It's an appalling notion - but an accurate one. As of 1999 more than 60 percent of American adults were overweight or obese - and obesity among children was increasing faster than among adults. In 2000, 22 percent of U.S. preschoolers were overweight and 10 percent clinically obese.
Nevertheless, there are many who consider obesity an individual responsibility. Writing in the Los Angeles Times in December 2001, Brian Doherty ridiculed former surgeon general David Satcher's "fat war." He called on taxpayer-funded agencies to think twice about spending Americans' money to lecture us on what he considers a matter of private health. He believes obesity is a condition "caused by freely chosen behavior" and maintains people can simply cure themselves of obesity by eating less and exercising more.
Fair enough. Everyone's entitled to an opinion. But you have to wonder if Mr. Doherty has done any research on this issue - or if he's simply speaking as someone who personally has a handle on his own "love handles." If it's the latter, he's to be congratulated for his self-discipline - but rebuked for not digging a little deeper as a journalist. After all, if the majority of people in this country have a weight problem, we need to look into the reasons why. If there are now nearly twice as many overweight children and almost three times as many overweight adolescents as there were in 1980 - and it previously took 30 years for the number of overweight American children to double - we have to admit that something, somewhere, is very wrong.
Certainly, we all wish the problem would just disappear - that it wouldn't be our problem at all. Who at one time or another hasn't wished for a simple solution to the predicaments that plague us? In this case, if everyone just took personal responsibility for her or his own weight gain, we wouldn't have to spend $100 billion dealing with obesity. And there's no doubt that personal responsibility is a good thing. But David Satcher tells us this is "the most overweight, obese generation of children in our history." Exactly whose responsibility is that? Let's think about it.
Without even taking into consideration the $100,000 paid to schools by soft drink companies to fill our children's bodies with empty calories, there's still the issue of recess and physical education disappearing from the schools. Who's making the decisions to eliminate all physical activity from the school day (where children spend most of their waking hours) despite mounting evidence that children need to move - for the health of both their bodies and their minds? Not the children. Given a choice, they'd happily choose to mix some movement into the day.
There's also the matter of loading children's days with activities that preclude "exercising more." Given a choice - and the opportunity - children might well opt to spend more of their time running, jumping, and breathing hard. But they're not being allowed to "choose freely." Rather, the adults are choosing for them - the very adults who are supposed to know what's best for them and who have been entrusted with their care and protection.
Are the children responsible for the fact that 32 percent of two? to seven-year-olds - and 65 percent of eight? to eighteen-year-olds - have TVs in their bedrooms? Is it their fault they're not born with self-limiting mechanisms - and that too often parents have forgotten how to say no? If young children were able to set their own limits with regard to television viewing and computer and video use, they'd need parents only to provide food, clothing, and shelter.
The problem is, once a child is obese because of these adult-made decisions, the odds are pretty much stacked against him. Not only are behavior patterns, like eating and physical activity habits, established in childhood (educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom contended that 90 percent of an individual's habits and traits are set by age twelve), but long-term studies have also shown that excess body fat tends to persist throughout childhood and into adulthood.
And it's no wonder. Not only will "supersized" servings confront her at every turn, but also physical activity will become an even smaller part of the overweight child's life as she gets older. This is true of children in general but is even more probable for the overweight child.
Many of us have nightmarish recollections of trying to climb the rope, or being forced to run laps until overcome with nausea, during "gym class." Surely any kind of physical activity would feel equally nightmarish to an overweight child. Even if they're inclined to move, overweight children are often physically incompetent. According to an article at the website of the International Play Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA), during one study approximately 120 children ages three to ten were observed traversing an overhead ladder. The only children unable to cross the ladder successfully were obese. In another study it was determined that even children's walking patterns were affected by overweight, with obese children walking slower, asymmetrically, flat-footed, and with toes turned out. Over time these poor walking habits can result in structural deformities and damage to body tissue. And, of course, if even walking is a challenge, anything beyond that could be perceived as overwhelming.
Is it any surprise, then, that 40 percent of obese children and 70 percent of obese adolescents become obese adults? Indeed, by the time obese children are six years old, their chances of becoming obese adults are over 50 percent. It's a vicious-circle kind of problem. Lack of physical activity is a primary cause of excessive fat accumulation in children. Then, once overweight, children have a tendency to become even less physically active - a tendency that only increases in adolescence.
Sure, Richard Simmons started out as a "fat kid" and managed to overcome the odds, but he's devoted his entire life to it! Not many individuals are likely to hand over the better part of their lives to rid themselves of excessive fat accumulation acquired before they were even old enough to understand the problem.
But something must be done to ensure physical activity is a part of every child's life. Said Dr. Samuel Abate, at a childhood obesity conference sponsored by the North Dakota Department of Health: "The consequences of denying the body exercise are just as severe as depriving it of food, water, or oxygen; it just takes longer to see the consequences."
Rae Pica is a children's physical activity specialist and the author of Your Active Child: How to Boost Physical, Emotional, and Cognitive Development through Age-Appropriate Activity (McGraw-Hill, 2003). Rae speaks to parent and education groups throughout North America. You can visit her and read more articles at http://www.movingandlearning.com.
 Google News Updated : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:48:34 GMT Postseason ace Beckett shelled as Angels win 5-4 - The Associated Press
The Associated Press - BOSTON (AP) - Josh Beckett waited four extra days for a chance to show his postseason brilliance. That shine wore off with his very first pitch. Video: Angels, White Sox Each Force a Game 4 Red Sox's injuries could prove costly vs. Angels Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:11:21 GMT For Some Animals, There's No Place at Home - U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report - By Amanda Gardner MONDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Exposing your children to the joys of pet ownership may, in some cases, also mean exposing them to infections and injuries. Keep Kids From Exotic Animals, Docs Say Doctors: No hamsters or exotic pets for young kids Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:06:44 GMT Obama accuses McCain of looking for distractions - CNN
CNN - (CNN) -- Sen. Barack Obama on Sunday charged that Sen. John McCain's campaign is launching "Swift boat-style attacks" on him instead of addressing the country's problems. Health Care: Coverage -- But at What Price? Health Care Destruction Publ.Date : Sun, 05 Oct 2008 19:30:50 GMT PGA -- 2008 Turning Point Championship Recap - Pro Fantasy Sports
Pro Fantasy Sports - Hello in the second of the “Fall Finish” series, a unknown rookie birdied the 72 nd hole to earn a hefty paycheck and a spot on the PGA tour for the next two years. Johnson earns first win at Turning Stone Rookie posts first victory Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:07:14 GMT Ask.com Sails into Semantic Search to Differentiate from Google - eWeek
eWeek - By Clint Boulton Ask.com's search engine market share is minimal at best, but the company keeps on plugging away in application development to keep from being extinguished by Google, Yahoo and Microsoft. Ask.com Amps Up Search Again Ask.com, now with more answers Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 13:04:07 GMT Mammals facing extinction threat - BBC News
BBC News - By Richard Black At least 25% of the world's mammal species are at risk of extinction, according to the first assessment of their status for a decade. Many, many mammals face extinction One Quarter of World's Mammals Face Extinction Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 12:37:47 GMT Angelina Jolie Debuts New Movie and New Ink - Actress Archives
Actress Archives - Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt recently attended the movie premiere for Jolie’s new film “The Changeling” directed by Clint Eastwood, and the film wasn’t the only thing on display. Video: Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt at Premiere Angelina Jolie’s New Tattoo Publ.Date : Mon, 06 Oct 2008 14:09:31 GMT Amazon RSS |
PARLOT::Ebooks, Scripts,
Websites, and more... Q. With another school year starting, we are not sure... Read More Dads, please let me encourage you to change some things... Read More Anorexia nervosa is a serious medical disorder that is statistically... Read More Vouchers, which give tax money to parents to pay for... Read More Every year over one million parents have to talk to... Read More "My son won't go to bed at night without a... Read More A strange thing happened to me today. Or more precisely,... Read More Everyone needs friends, and, as parents, you and I both... Read More If you had to spend 4 or 5 hours in... Read More If you visit search engines you can find several resources... Read More I had just completed a session with 17-year old Julie... Read More Q. My daughter is a junior in high school and... Read More Dear MomOn this day set aside to honour "Mother's" let... Read More As with everything, names go through cycles of change with... Read More This past holiday season Canadians spent over $45 billion-with parents... Read More A learning disability is defined as a permanent problem that... Read More The great thing about children is they absorb knowledge like... Read More Before my daughter was born my house was... Read More Successful parents have learned to be both firm and kind... Read More "Get down from the table top right now! What are... Read More There is a front line and a back end to... Read More Goal setting is essential for building a successful life. However,... Read More Are you a parent concerned about passing values on to... Read More Libraries offer more than books. They are places of learning... Read More Back in college, I wrote for a five-day-a-week, award-winning campus... Read More
Adsense
websites
Back to School Success: The Parents Job and the Students Job
A Call For Fathers
Anorexia Nervosa Alert - is Your Daughter Dying To Be Thin?
Vouchers --- Parents, Dont Depend On Them
Helping Your Kids Handle Divorce
Banishing Bedtime Blues
Your Kids Career - Whose Choice?
Homeschool Socialization - Developing Your Homeschool Childs Social Skills
Road Trip! Make It Fun For Your Toddler
After the Driving School
5 Steps to Raising an Optimistic Child
Parenting Your Teenager: When is it OK to Quit?
A Mothers Way
Fuzzy Names, Sweet Names
The Best Gifts Ever: Life Experiences Every Child Should Have
Just What Is A Learning Disability?
Teach Your Children - Without Them Knowing They Are Learning!
To Clean or Not To Clean
Normal and Logical Consequences
Time Out for Adults
Why Scrapbooking Moms are the Secret Weapon in the War on Terror
Goal Setting for Kids
Thirteen Values You Can Teach Through Homework
Visiting the Library
How to Set Healthy Limits at Work
Affordable and Reliable Web Hosting Starting at $4.49/Month
Road Trip with Kids
Boredom, limited space and overflowing energy are a source of... Read More
How to Make a Time Capsule
Looking for an unusual and memorable gift? Why not preserve... Read More
Picky Eaters - The Dawn of Understanding
"In general my children refuse to eat anything that hasn't... Read More
Intermission: Wood Chips
I wanted to share with you one of the most... Read More
CPR: Why You Should Know It
I never dreamed that I would be in a position... Read More
10 Ways You Can Advocate For Your Child With A Learning Disability
Did you know that you are the most important person... Read More
To Test or Not To Test - That Is the Question
Little Suzy has really been having a hard time getting... Read More
The Financially Intelligent Parent: 8 Steps to Raising Successful, Generous, Responsible Children
What you say and do about money has a profound... Read More
Assume Personal Responsibility? Who, Me?
As thinking, acting human beings we have the ability to... Read More
Diet Sodas And How They Can Affect Kids
Many of us have grown up drinking caffeinated diet sodas... Read More
Raising Strong Daughters
When my daughter was born, I must admit there was... Read More
Turn off the TV -- and Turn on to Physical Activity!
Imagine having no television for an entire season. Such was... Read More
Parenting Confidence - Who Needs It?
It used to strike me as odd - but really,... Read More
The Theme from MASH - Suicide is Not Painless
The Theme from MASHI flipped the button on the remote... Read More
The Secret, Unconscious Game Children and Parents Play Where No One Wins!
Did you know there's a game children and parents play... Read More
How To Teach Your Children Love
I was in the life insurance sales industry for over... Read More
Strategies to Help Boost Your Childs Self Esteem
Self esteem in an important quality for all children to... Read More
Study Skills - How Can YOU Help Your Kids?
Some years ago when touring the Scottish Highlands, a man... Read More
Time To Connect With Your Teen
While on a recent trip to the grocery store, I... Read More
Ten Ways to Help Your Child Make Friends
Nothing touches the heartstrings of a parent or teacher more... Read More
Raise Your Child to Be a Leader Not a Follower
Your child's leadership skills begin at the family dinner table.... Read More
Labor of Love
The small, lilac colored hexagonal box, with Winnie the Pooh... Read More
You Dont Need a Supernanny to Be an Active Parent
The hot new reality TV show "Nanny 911" has been... Read More
Diagnosing ADHD in Your Child, an Introduction
Everyone in a private practice setting who works with children... Read More
Bless Your Child With The Name
What a dreamer I am when thinking about parenthood. Most... Read More
Parenting |