Fwd: [SoFlaVegans] Childhood Obesity

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Greetings: Information to pass on to family and friends who are experiencing these types of problems. Note: forwarded message attached.Ronald A. Fells

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Childhood Obesity

September 28, 2007

 

http://supermarketguru.com/page.cfm/34922

 

Eighty-four percent of U.S. adults believe that

childhood obesity is a " major problem, " according to a

recent study conducted by Harris Interactive for The

Wall Street Journal Online's Health Industry Edition.

In fact, the prevalence of childhood obesity has

indeed risen steadily over the past two decades. As of

2002, sixteen percent of children and teens in the

U.S. were overweight.

 

For adults, obesity is determined using an

individual's weight and height to calculate a number

called the body mass index, or BMI. Adults with a BMI

of 30 or higher are considered obese. Those with BMI's

in the 18.5 to 24.9 range are considered to be at a

healthy weight, while those with BMI's between 25 and

29.9 are considered overweight.

 

However, BMI is gender and age specific for children

and teens because the amount of body fat changes with

age and differs between girls and boys. Child and teen

BMI (also known as BMI-for-age) is calculated with a

percentage that shows the relative position of the

child's BMI number among children of the same sex and

age.

 

In children and teens, a healthy weight can range

anywhere from the 5th percentile to less than the 85th

percentile. Children at risk for being overweight

range from the 85th percentile to less than the 95th

percentile.

Children that are equal to or greater than the 95th

percentile are considered overweight.

 

Even with BMI numbers, additional screening may be

necessary to determine if a child's excess fat is a

problem. Sometimes, the BMI-for-age for children of

different ages and sexes may yield the same numeric

result, but represent a different percentile for each

child. Health care providers often look at things like

skinfold thickness measurements, diet, activity and

family history before making a complete diagnosis.

 

Dr. James Hill, an obesity expert at the Center for

Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado, says

that most overweight and obese children become

overweight and obese adults. Though a few do " grow out

of it, " unfortunately, most do not. The older the

child, the more likely that their overweight or obese

status will track into adulthood. Twenty-five percent

of obese adults were overweight as children, says the

Center for Disease Control.

 

So who's to blame? Of the 2,503 U.S. adults asked to

answer questions online for the Wall Street Journal

poll (573 are parents or guardians of children age 12

or younger), the growing majority of adults (seventy

eight percent compared to sixty five percent in 2006)

pointed to advertising directed at children as a major

contributor to rising childhood obesity rates. These

findings should come as no surprise to food companies

who, under pressure from health advocate groups and

parents, have been working hard to change their

tactics. McDonald's, Kraft, Coca-Cola, Hershey,

Cadbury Schweppes, General Mills, Kellogg, PepsoCo.,

Unilever, and Campbell Soup each agreed to voluntarily

put more controls on the way they advertise to

children late last year.

 

The study also found that adults are increasingly

likely to believe that public schools should be more

active in limiting children's access to unhealthy

foods (eighty eight percent vs. eighty three percent

in 2006). Ninety-four percent said that public schools

should do more to promote regular exercise. And

government gets a mention too. Sixty percent of adults

think government should play a more active role in

regulating the kinds of marketing and advertising that

the food industry targets at children - up seven

percent from 2006.

 

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