Obesity
Teens & Children
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Division of Education
Introduction
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Overweight/obesity is not just a condition which plagues adults.
In fact, many children and teens living in the United States are
at a higher weight than they should be.
It is important to adopt a healthy lifestyle in early years.
Being overweight at any age increases your risk for health
conditions both at present and later in life.
Obesity in the U.S.
Race/Ethnicity - Youth
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Among girls, the prevalence of overweight in Mexican-American and
non-Hispanic blacks was higher than among non-Hispanic whites.
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Along boys, the prevalence of overweight was significantly higher among
Mexican Americans than among either non-Hispanic blacks or whites.
Obesity in the U.S.
Age
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Adolescents were more likely to be
overweight than were younger children.
Older adults were more likely to be obese
than were younger adults.
The only exception was among adults 80
years of age and older, who were no
different than adults 20-39 years of age.
Obesity
What are the Causes?
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Overweight and obesity are the result of an
energy imbalance over a long period of time.
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While the whole picture is still unclear on how obesity
develops, it is believed to involve the integration of
social, behavioral, cultural, physiological, metabolic,
and genetic factors.
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Behavior and environment appear to play a large role
the development of obesity, and are often the focus
for prevention and treatment actions.
Energy Imbalance
What is it?
Weight Gain
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Energy balance is like a scale where both
sides are of equal weight.
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An energy imbalance arises when the number of
calories consumed is not equal to the number of
calories used by the body.
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Weight gain usually involves the combination of
consuming too many calories and not expending
enough enough through physical activity, although
weight gain could result from one or the other.
Calories Consumed > Calories Used
Weight Loss
Calories Consumed < Calories Used
No Weight Change
Calories Consumed = Calories Used
CDC
Obesity
Diet and Exercise
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Physical activity contributes to weight loss, especially
when combined with a calorie reduction.
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Physical activity is important in preventing overweight and
obesity and in maintaining weight that is lost.
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In addition to weight control, physical activity helps:
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Prevent heart disease
Control cholesterol levels and diabetes
To slow bone loss associated with advancing age
Lower the risk of certain cancers
Reduce anxiety and depression
Body Mass Index
Indicator of Weight Status
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Body mass index (BMI) is a
mathematical ratio taking into
account an individual’s weight, in
kilograms, and height, in meters
squared (kg/m2). This measure can
be used for adults 20 years
of age and older.
With a BMI of:
You are considered:
Below 18.5
Underweight
18.5 - 24.9
Healthy Weight
25.0 - 29.9
Overweight
30 or higher
Obese
BMI determines an individuals
weight category.
You can find tables on the web that that are ready-made for you. http://www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi
Body Mass Index
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It is important to remember that although BMI
correlates with the amount of body fat a person has,
it does not directly measure body fat.
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However, with the exception of highly trained
athletes, BMI is a good predictor of chronic disease
and mortality in individuals.
Weight Classifications
Children and Teens
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For children and teens, BMI ranges that are above
a normal weight have different labels:
at risk for overweight and overweight.
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In addition, BMI ranges for children and teens are
defined in a way so that they can take into account:
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Normal differences in body fat between boys and girls
Differences in body fat at various ages
BMI for children and teens is often referred to as BMI-for-age.
The following site allows for instant calculation of BMI in individuals aged 2 through 19:
http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calculator.aspx
Periods of Rapid Growth
Childhood
Teen age years
Pregnancy
Facts on Obesity
Childhood
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Parental obesity more than doubles the risk of
adult obesity among both obese and non-obese
children who are under the age of 10.
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Weight gain and nutrition during pregnancy can
determine the risk for obesity and other chronic
diseases in later life.
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Among children older than 3, being overweight is
a strong predictor of adult obesity.
Childhood Antecedents to Obesity
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Parental weight
Social class
Race
One-parent household
Educational level
Parental income
Parental employment
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TV viewing
# siblings
Maternal age
High caloric intake
High dietary fat intake
Physical activity level
Obesity in the U.S.
Children and Adolescents
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In 2003-04, approximately 12.5 million
children and adolescents (17.1%) 2-19 years
of age were considered overweight.
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A study of low income school children in
Montreal, Canada found that:
 Nearly 42% were overweight, which
was 2.6 times higher than expected.
Johnson-Down et al 1997
Ten State Nutrition Survey
Children and Teens
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Both girls and boys born to different parental combinations were
followed, measuring and recording skin fold thickness each year
from age three until seventeen.
Based on the parent combination, the child was either at a
higher or lower risk for being overweight later in life.
The 5 different parental combinations:
Lean and Lean
Medium and Lean
Medium and Medium
Medium and Obese
Obese and Obese
5 Parental Fatness Combinations
Lean Lean
L-L
Medium Lean Medium Medium
M-L
M-M
Obese Medium Obese Obese
O-M
O-O
Skinfold Measurements
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This method is the most widely used body
composition testing method for assessing
percent body fat.
The skinfold caliper is the instrument used
to take the measurements of subcutaneous
tissue at different sites.
In this study, Tricep skinfold measurements
of the participants were taken.
Results of the Study
Tricep Skinfold in Boys
Parental
Fatness
Combinations
30
25
O-O
O-M
M-M
M-L
L-L
20
15
Mm
10
5
0
3
5
7
9
11
Age (Years)
13
15
17
Results of the Study
Tricep Skinfold in Girls
Parental
Fatness
Combinations
30
25
O-O
O-M
M-M
M-L
L-L
20
15
Mm
10
5
0
3
5
7
9
11
Age (years)
13
15
17
Ten State Nutrition Survey
Results Based on Parental Combinations
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Comparing the children of obese with the children of
lean, it was striking both how fat the children of the
obese were, and how fast they gained their fatness.
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By age 17, the children of two obese parents were
three times as fat as the children of two lean parents.
Ten State Nutrition Survey
In Summary…
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Factors such as ethnicity/race and age are important predictors of weight in the U.S.
Children who are born of two overweight parents are more likely to become overweight
adults, than are children who are born of two normal weight parents.
However, being overweight is primarily the consequence of an imbalance between
the number of calories consumed and the number of calories used by the body.
Eating healthy and exercising regularly are important behaviors to adopt at an early age.
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Division of Education
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Heli J. Roy, PhD, RD, Associate Professor
Shanna Lundy, BS
Beth Kalicki
Division of Education
Phillip Brantley, PhD, Director
Pennington Biomedical Research Center
Claude Bouchard, PhD, Executive Director
Edited: October 2009
About Our Company
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The Pennington Biomedical Research Center is a world-renowned nutrition research center.
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Mission:
To promote healthier lives through research and education in nutrition and preventive medicine.
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The Pennington Center has several research areas, including:
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Clinical Obesity Research
Experimental Obesity
Functional Foods
Health and Performance Enhancement
Nutrition and Chronic Diseases
Nutrition and the Brain
Dementia, Alzheimer’s and healthy aging
Diet, exercise, weight loss and weight loss maintenance
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The research fostered in these areas can have a profound impact on healthy living and on the prevention of common chronic
diseases, such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, hypertension and osteoporosis.
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The Division of Education provides education and information to the scientific community and the public about research
findings, training programs and research areas, and coordinates educational events for the public on various health issues.
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We invite people of all ages and backgrounds to participate in the exciting research studies being conducted at the
Pennington Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. If you would like to take part, visit the clinical trials web page at
www.pbrc.edu or call (225) 763-3000.
Additional Resources:
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MyPyramid: Food Pyramid. Available at: http://www.mypyramid.gov
References
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov
Clinical guidelines on the identification, evaluation, and treatment of overweight and
obesity in adults. Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/obesity/ob_exsum.pdf
Johnson-Down L, O'Loughlin L, Koski KG, and Gray-Donald K. High Prevalence of
Obesity in Low Income and Multiethnic Schoolchildren: A Diet and Physical Activity
Assessment. The Journal of Nutrition Vol. 127 No. 12 December 1997, pp. 2310-2315.