By Jesse Steffen and Karla Conrad
What are they
eating?
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On average middle school aged children
should intake about 1500-1800 calories.
30% from fat (about 495)
Increase as the children are more physically
active or are going through a growth spurt.
• 476 calories/203 from fat
• 331 calories /
131 from fat
•420 calories /
170 from fat
•273 calories /
176 from fat
• 273 calories/
116 from fat

Carbohydrates: Five or more servings per day
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Fruits: Two to three servings per day
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Protein: Three or more servings per day
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Vegetables: Two to three servings of cooked or raw
vegetables per day
◦ 1 cup of potatoes, pasta, or rice; 2 slices whole grain bread, ¾ cup
dry cereal, ¾ muffin or bagel.
◦ 1 cup canned fruit, 1 piece fresh fruit, ½ cup juice.
◦ 2 to 3 ounces meat, fish, or poultry; 1 egg; ½ cup cottage or
ricotta cheese; 1 to 2 ounces of other types of cheese; ½ cup
cooked dried beans or legumes; 3 tablespoons peanut butter.
◦ ½ cup of vegetables.
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Schools are now provided with these
nutritional needs.
They must provide one‐third of the protein,
Vitamin A, Vitamin C, iron, calcium, and
calories each day.
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Overweight and obesity = ranges of weight
that are greater than what is generally
considered healthy for a given height
Childhood obesity = imbalance of food taken
in and food used
BMI: Body Mass Index
◦ = weight/ (height X height) X 703
◦ Child and Teen BMI Calculator
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2005 Federal Government had to create a
program for schools to calculate their
students’ BMI
Used to evaluate the effectiveness of health
and nutrition programs
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Estimated 17 percent of children and
adolescents ages 2-19 years are obese
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Between 1976-1980 and 2007-2008 obesity
increased from 6.5 to 19.6% among 6-11
year olds. Among adolescents aged 12-19,
obesity increased from 5 to 18.1% during the
same period
Average weight for a 10 yr old boy in 1963
was 74 lbs by 2002 the ave. weight was
nearly 85 lbs. For girls it went from 77 to 88.
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Behavioral Factors
◦ Energy intake:
 large portion sizes, eating meals away
from home, frequent beverages
◦ Sedentary behavior
 On average kids spend 5 ½ hours watching
tv.
 Teens spend on average 6 hrs a day on
media driven sedentary activities.
◦ Physical activity
 Only 10% of schools offer daily physical
education classes, and many of those don’t
meet the time requirements of weekly exercise.
 Daily participation in school physical education
among adolescents dropped 14 percentage
points over the last 13 years — from 42% in
1991 to 28% in 2003
 As of 2006 1/3 of 15 yrs olds got the min
amount of required physical activity during the
week, and on weekends it dropped to just 17%.
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Genetic Factors
Environmental Factors
◦ Within the home
◦ Within child care
 Almost 80% of children aged 5 years and younger with
working mothers are in child care for 40 hours a week
on average.
◦ Within schools
◦ Within the community
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Psychosocial Risks
◦ targets of early and systematic social
discrimination
◦ low self-esteem
Cardiovascular Disease Risks
◦ high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure,
and abnormal glucose tolerance.
◦ In a sample of 5 to 17-year-olds, 70% of
obese children had at least one CVD risk
factor while 39% of obese children had two or
more CVD risk factors
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Additional Health Risks
◦ Asthma
◦ Hepatic steatosis
 fatty degeneration of the liver
◦ Sleep apnea
 7% of obese children
◦ Type 2 diabetes.
 Cause CVD and kidney failure
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Obese children and adolescents are
more likely to become obese as adults
◦ 80% of children who were overweight
at aged 10–15 years were obese
adults at age 25 years.
◦ 25% of obese adults were overweight
as children
◦ If overweight begins before 8 years
of age, obesity in adulthood is likely
to be more severe.
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Indiana is currently developing a obesity
prevention plan.
◦ collection of height and weight data in grades 3, 5,
and 7
◦ promote calorie menu-labeling
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Michelle Obama/White House Task Force on
Childhood Obesity
◦ Goal: Cut Child Obesity From 20% to 5% by 2030

Healthy weight. (2010, June 28). Retrieved from
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/ index.html
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DeNoon, D.J. (2010, May 11). Michelle obama's plan to end
childhood obesity epidemic. WebMD, Retrieved from
http://children.webmd.com/news/20100511/michelle-obamaplan-to-end-child-obesity-epidemic
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Tween nutritional requirements. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://life.
familyeducation.com/tween/healthy-lifestyle/55985.html
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Nutrient standards. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/resources/NAP1.pdf
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National school lunch program. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.
fns.usda.gov/cnd/lunch/aboutlunch/NSLPFactSheet.pdf