Childhood Obesity

It is estimated that 5-25 percent of children and teenagers in America today are suffering from obesity. Obesity among children is on the rise. More and more children and teenagers are becoming obese. While it is popular that obese infants don’t invariably remain obese into childhood and not all obese children remain obese up, obesity is increasing with age. This means that there is a much higher risk of remaining obese throughout your lifetime if you are obese growing up.

Secondary Problems of Childhood Obesity

There are many problems that are created for children secondary to obesity. Besides the obvious risk of obesity in adulthood, obesity inside a child is the most common cause for pediatric hypertension. Obesity is also linked to Type II diabetes mellitus.

In addition there is an increased risk of having coronary artery disease. There’s undue stress positioned on all of the weight bearing joints. Obese children also have lower self esteem and poor relationships using their peers. Some specialists have said that the most substantial impact on a child related to obesity is social and psychological problems.

Causes of Childhood Obesity:

- improper balance between energy that is taken in and energy that is put out
- genetics

Hereditary factors play a role within the development of obesity in youngsters. Infants that are born to overweight mothers have been shown to be less active and also to weigh significantly more than babies which were born to mothers having a normal weight when they were three months old. It appears there is a hereditary, inborn trait that causes babies to want to conserve energy and do less physical activity, thus gaining more weight.

Additional Causes of Childhood Obesity:

- lack of physical exercise
- over indulgence in ‘junk food’
- improper dietary training

Do not be fooled into thinking these are the only reasons for overweight children today. It is extremely possible there may be hidden real and mental causes for the child being overweight. Therefore it is imperative and strongly recommended that the professional health care provider be consulted for proper diagnoses and treatment.

Strategy to Overweight Children:

There are a variety of treatments readily available for childhood obesity. These treatments and programs are most often not associated with weight reduction. Instead, the plan is to slow or stop putting on weight so that the child has the ability to grow into their body weight over a period of time.

It has been proven that proper and early intervention is the best way to start modifying obesity issues. Research indicates that it is easier to change a child’s eating and use habits than it is to change an adults.

Treatments for example;

- physical activity and exercise
- control over the child’s diet involved Could also be a need for a
- behavior modification plan and take them to a fat camp for kids to share experiences.

Usually the easiest way to correct a problem is to change the thinking and also the learned behaviors from the child.

Make no mistake, that cute overweight baby can develop lifetime health problems, if proper steps aren’t taken early on.