Childhood Obesity

Obesity in children and teenagers is a SERIOUS problem

While suffering from abesity at a young age many health and social problems are developed and they are often carried with the children well into their adulthood. Children who are obese cannot be treated using the same methods of treatment for adults because there are different effects, so ways to treat the obesity epidemic among the youth are being researched. There are a lot of questions that need to be answered, and the whole psychology of obesity in children needs to be better understood.

Some causes of childhood obesity are:

• Not enough regular exercise. Too many kids ait around the house, eat, and watch TV. A lot of kids go home to empty houses after school and they don't have any parents there to supervise what they eat or how long they sit in front of the computer or the TV instead of outside engaging in physical activity.
• Low family incomes
• Over-eating high calorie foods. Regular trips to McDonalds are not rewards for your children, they aren't good for them at all. Also a lot of kids eat when they aren't hungry, or they just eat because they are watching TV or doing homework.
• Genetics are a factor in obesity too, children with obese parents have a greater risk of obesity.
• Another cause is the chidren's environment. There are too many advertisments for junk food and less activity.

As the child obesity rate rises, so does the rate of medical conditions in children and adolescents. There are more reports of obesity-related diseases that were all once considered only adult conditions. There is a decline in the healthiness of the food that people eat as they grow from children to adults.

Treatment for childhood obesity includes physical activity, behavior therapy, and dietary therapy. Children can be taught to take smaller bites, chewing food longer, and putting the fork or spoon down between bites so the food gets finished slower. 60 minutes of moderate physical activity everyday is recommended for children. Behavior therapy should include family support and involvement.

To read a tragic story about one situation in which a child died of obesity, click HERE.