Be proactive about childhood obesity - Give your kids a chance to enjoy their healthy lives

11 years ago | Nutrition

Photo credit: Creative Commons

By pH health care professionals

According to the Centers for Disease Control, obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in teens in the last 30 years. It has officially become an epidemic. So there is no dispute that childhood obesity is a serious public health concern.

Why does childhood obesity matter?

Obesity may leave your kids vulnerable to many health issues including the following:

Diabetes. Children who are obese are more likely to develop diabetes as adults.
Cardiovascular diseases. Obesity is associated with higher incidences of high cholesterol and hypertension.
Obesity as an adult. Obese children typically grow up to be obese or overweight adults.
Cancer. Obesity is associated with a higher risk of liver, colon, breast, kidney, gall bladder, thyroid and ovarian cancer.
Bone and joint problems. Carrying more body weight puts stress and pressure on joints causing them to deteriorate more rapidly. An obese person is 60% more likely to develop arthritis than someone of normal body weight.
Stroke. Obese children are more likely to have a stroke at some point during adulthood.

The good news is that this epidemic may be reversed by making some lifestyle changes.

What can you do about childhood obesity?

There are many ways that you can work to prevent childhood obesity. The American Heart Association has suggested the following:

Encourage healthy eating. Make sure you have plenty of healthy choices for kids to choose from. This means having fruits, veggies and whole grains readily available.
Remove temptations. It is hard for kids to develop healthy eating habits when there are high-sugar and high-fat treats around them. By removing these snacks and treats, you remove the temptation and make it easier for them to choose nutritious foods.
Education. Lessons on how to make healthy choices will stay with them through adulthood. Show kids the benefits of exercise.
Help kids stay active. Research shows that kids and teenagers should get at least an hour of “moderate intensity” physical activity most days of the week. Some examples include brisk walking, running and playing sports.

Preventing childhood obesity is no small task. However, there are many things that you can do to try to reduce the number of obese children and possibly keep obese children from turning into obese adults. Developing healthy habits and routine physical activity will not only lower a child’s risk for obesity, but for other illnesses as well.

Schedule an appointment with one of our doctors at Proactive Health Labs to discuss concerns regarding your child’s risk for obesity and obesity-related health issues. Call 855-PHLABS1. Also follow us on Facebook for more information on everyday healthy living.

Enjoy Your Healthy Life!

The pH professional health care team includes recognized experts from a variety of health care and related disciplines, including physicians, attorneys, nutritionists, nurses and certified fitness instructors. This team also includes the members of the pH Medical Advisory Board, which constantly monitors all pH programs, products and services. To learn more about the pH Medical Advisory Board, click here.