Obesity is plaguing America’s children with a multitude of
health problems -- now there’s a new risk to be added to the
list: shorter life expectancy. For the first time in history, the
next generation will not live longer, or even as long, as their
parents.
“Diseases such as Type II diabetes, high blood pressure,
heart conditions and joint deterioration - what were once
considered ‘adult’ diseases - are regularly being
diagnosed in children, due to the prevalence of obesity,”
said Jessica Bartfield, MD, internal medicine and medical
weight-loss specialist at Gottlieb
Memorial Hospital, part of the Loyola
University Health System.
Bartfield is also part of Gottlieb’s medically supervised
weight-loss program involving physicians, nutritionists, exercise
physiologists and behavioralists.
The causes for childhood obesity, she said, are “multifactorial, including environment and culture.” Genetics and parental weight status also plays a role.
“If one parent is obese, a child has a 50 percent likelihood of being obese, and if both parents are obese, that skyrockets to 80 percent likelihood,” said Bartfield.
Research by the Center for Disease Control found that 80 percent of obese children between the ages of 10 to 15 continue to be obese at age 25. Furthermore, the earlier obesity develops in children, the more severe it tends to be as an adult.
In addition to health implications, there are psychological and social damages as well.
“In addition to decreasing years of life, obesity decreases the quality of life through social ostracism, bullying, social isolation, and poor self-esteem which can lead to poor performance in school, in jobs and in life,” said Bartfield.
What to do
Here are the top five ways we can reverse the obesity trend
among children:
1. Parents take charge. “Focus on
getting the family healthy, not putting someone on a diet,”
said Bartfield. “Monitor and take accountability for what the
family is eating. Plan meals, set limits and take the team
approach.”
2. Involve the Kids. “As a family,
create a weekly meal plan, look up calorie counts, make a grocery
list, read product labels, choose fresh rather than packaged and
get everyone’s participation,” said Bartfield.
“Everyone has to get on board to be successful.”
3. Add fresh fruits and vegetables.
Bartfield recommends replacing applesauce for oil in baked goods,
adding carrots, broccoli and kale to soups and omelets, and cutting
up fresh fruit as a side dish -- even if it means including
moderate amounts of low-calorie whipped topping or low-calorie
salad dressing to make the fruit or vegetable more appealing.
4. Cut liquid calories. “Soda,
flavored and full fat milk, fruit punches and fruit-flavored
beverages are loaded in sugar and empty calories,” Bartfield
said. “Substitute 2 percent for whole milk, or skim for 2
percent, and try adding water, seltzer or club soda to juices to
cut calories.”
5. Prioritize breakfast and keep meals
consistent. According to Bartfield, eating within the
first hour of waking up powers the brain and jump-starts the
metabolism for the rest of the day and choosing protein and fiber
in breakfast foods boosts endurance. Establish set meal times, and
calories per meal, and stick to them, with defined healthy options
for snacking.
Another key to helping children lose weight is to have healthy
expectations.
“In overweight children with medical complications or obese children, strive for a one-pound individual weight loss per month,” said Bartfield, who uses guidelines by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Bartfield also encourages parents to focus on weight maintenance
for overweight kids without medical complications since, as they
grow in height, their Body Mass Index (BMI) will decrease on its
own.
Bartfield practices medicine in Chicago, a city whose youth
population has increased in obesity.
“Most recently, data from 2007 National Survey of
Children’s Health found Illinois to have the 4th highest rate
of child obesity in the nation -- 1 out of every 5 children is
obese. In particular, our children entering schools in Chicago (age
3-7) have about double the rate of obesity as the national average
of similar aged kids,” said Bartfield.
