The Increase In
Childhood Obesity
What is Obesity?
Obesity is defined as,
“Weighing more than
twenty percent above ideal
weight for a particular
height and age.”
http://www2.maxwell.syr.edu/plegal/TIPS/select.html
With one-third of American children overweight
or obese and national health care spending on
obesity nearing $150 billion annually, childhood
obesity remains a pressing public health
concern.
Childhood obesity rates in the U.S. have nearly tripled
over the past three decades and today, an estimated 16.9
percent of U.S. children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 are
obese; 31.7 percent are either obese or overweight. In
sheer numbers, more than 12 million American children
and adolescents are obese and more than 23 million are
either obese or overweight.
The U.S. childhood obesity epidemic also poses a
national security challenge, as obesity has
become one of the most common disqualifiers for
military service.
But What Causes
Obesity?!?
Obesity is the result of “caloric
imbalance”—too few calories expended
for the amount of calories consumed.
What does that mean? Children are taking
in more calories than they are burning and
as a result are gaining weight.
Weight is affected by various factors
such as
- Environment
- Heredity
- Behavior
In 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama announced “Let’s Move” a
collaborative effort to address the obesity epidemic. Designed
to promote healthy choices, increase healthy eating by
improving school food quality and access to healthy,
affordable food in communities and increase opportunities for
a physically active lifestyle; the effort is underway to help
children and adults achieve and maintain a healthy weight and
reduce obesity-related chronic diseases.
“Lets Move” includes
 School
Nutrition Legislation
 Body Mass Index (BMI) Legislation
 Increased Physical Education
program
 Nutrition Education
My Solution
The solution starts at home! The
government can make plans that will
reduce the options for poor health but
if parents take the initiative, the
problem can stop at home.
Here are some ideas :
-Read Labels
-Provide Healthy Snacks
-Cook As Opposed To Ordering Food
-Educate Your Children About
Nutrition
-Lead By Example!