Obesity and being overweight

Globally, there are more than 1 billion overweight adults, and at least 300 million of them suffer from obesity. Both have reached epidemic proportions worldwide and both are major contributors to the global burden of chronic diseases and disabilities.

Obesity rates have skyrocketed since the 1980′s, up to three-fold in certain areas of the U.S. along with other industrialized nations, but it is also increasing exponentially in developing nations.

Why is driving the obesity and overweight epidemic?

The obesity epidemic reflects profound changes in society and in the behavioral patterns of society over recent decades. While genes are important in determining the proclivity of weight gain, it is dictated mostly by the energy balance between calorie intake and physical activity. Economic growth, modernization, urbanization, and globalization of the food industry is a major driving force behind the overweight and obesity epidemic. At the same time, there has been a movement towards less physically demanding work complemented by the use of automated transportation, time-consuming telecommunications technology in the home, and the pursuit of more leisurely past times. All of the above are factors in combating obesity and being overweight.

How bad is the problem?

Currently, there are more than 1 billion overweight adults. 300 million of them are clinically obese. Obesity levels range from below 5% in China, Japan, and some African nations, to over 75% in urban Samoa. But even in the lower spectrum of obesity, such as China, some cities boast obesity rates of over 20%.

Childhood obesity is also a driving factor. Worldwide, up to 22 million children under five are overweight. In the USA, according to the Surgeon General, the number of overweight children has doubled and the number of overweight adolescents has tripled since 1980.

Obesity accounts for 2-6% of total health care costs in several developed countries. The true costs are probably much greater as not all obesity-related conditions are calculated.

What can we do about it?

Prevention, weight loss and weight maintenance are the most important long-term strategies for fighting obesity. Other key elements include:

1. Creating a supportive environment through public policies and personal goals that promote the intake of a variety of low-fat, high-fiber foods, and opportunities for physical activity. (No more sitting on the bench for an entire phys-ed class.)

2. Promoting healthy behaviors to encourage, motivate, and enable individuals to lose weight, namely, through a better diet.

3. Mounting a clinical response to the existing burden of obesity and associated conditions by lawmakers and health care providers to ensure effective support and prevention for those most prone to becoming overweight.

Being Overweight

We all know that obesity and being overweight contribute to an ever-increasing list of chronic illnesses. According to some studies, obesity and being overweight is quickly catching up to smoking as the number one cause of preventable chronic illnesses. It causes diabetes in young children and leads to lethargic lifestyles. Obesity and being overweight is overwhelming our health care budget. Some see it as a personal issue while others blame social and environmental factors. Any way you look at it, obesity and being overweight has become a focal point for concern.

But what if it’s not that big of a deal?

Take the case of Mary Anne Ferguson, a 58-year-old grandma. Today, she’s lifting weights at the YMCA, hoping to buy herself another 25 years.

“I want to live well into my 80′s or longer,” said the high-spirited grandma.

But Mary Anne stands only 5 foot 6 inches and weighs 186 pounds.

According to doctors’ charts, Mary Anne is actually just a smidgen away from suffering from clinically obesity and is certainly overweight. In addition, her cholesterol is high and her doctor is worried. Mary Anne is worried. But recent studies have claimed that we may worry too much. Take for instance these headlines in Newsweek and Globe and Mail, respectively, “You can be fat and healthy at the same time” or “Get Fat, Live Longer.”

Excuse me? Doesn’t this goes against all the common assumptions of obesity and being overweight.

According to David Feeney at the Kaiser Center for Health Research in Portland, “One of the things that happens as many people age, is that they start to lose weight and they are at risk of becoming very frail.”

He conducted a 12 year study on 11,000 Canadians and found that people who were overweight lived the longest, especially those over 60. So it’s actually riskier to be underweight in old age. You don’t want to be skin and bones when you get older, focusing on just mortality and disease statistics neglects several obvious downsides of being old and underweight. Frailty is a major issue and resilience seems to falter with weight as well.

This doesn’t mean you should sell your treadmill and relegate yourself to the couch during off-hours. Exercise in curbing complications associated with obesity and being overweight is still the best route to go, even if you don’t seem to be making any progress with your weight. In fact, studies show that compared to a normal weight couch potato, someone suffering from obesity or is overweight and walks for 150 minutes a week has a 50% lower risk of death. Exercise is truly a super-drug.

The following are some common complications associated with obesity and being overweight and all of them can be curbed with a steady work out routine.

1. Heart Disease – The most common and devastating side effect of obesity or being overweight.
2. Diabetes – Associated with the poor diet habits that cause obesity or one being overweight.
3. Sleep Apnea – A condition where you stop breathing, causing you to wake up suddenly
4. Respiratory problems – Similar to reasons for heart disease, the lungs are overworked in order to provide more oxygen where it needs to be faster. Plus, conditions such as high cholesterol in the arteries can make it harder for oxygen to move freely through your system.
5. Arthritis – A condition common to obesity and being overweight because of the added stress on joints.

School Kids

It’s no question that American children are fatter today than they have ever been. It’s also a no-brainer that childhood obesity and overweight problems will costs us billions of dollars in the future. So why is the overweight issue being ignored by lawmakers at the federal and state levels? Although schools must follow federal standards for nutritional value in school lunches, new reports have found that school lunches need more fruits, veggies and a limit on calories to help prevent childhood obesity and overweight issues. Oftentimes, a school lunch’s nutritional value doesn’t even match up with the government’s own guidelines, despite the fact that the federal government subsidizes lunch and breakfast for needy kids in nearly every public school and many private ones.

The school lunch has seen its ups and downs. As food quality has gone down, childhood obesity and overweight problems have risen.

Under the Eisenhower and Nixon administrations, the budget for the National School Lunch Program was increased significantly, perhaps in an attempt to curb childhood malnourishment from depression-era children, but under the Reagan administration the school lunch budget was slashed by nearly $1.5 billion using revised nutritional guidelines that infamously attempted to classify ketchup as a vegetable.

However, today, according to Virginia Stallings of the Institute of Medicine, “Today, overweight children outnumber undernourished children, and childhood obesity is often referred to as an epidemic in both the medical and community settings.”

It’s clear we need a change.

As childhood obesity rates climb, attention is being directed towards school lunches as a possible solution to the problem. For millions of U.S. students, the school lunch, and sometimes breakfast, has been a staple since 1943. Children spend most of their childhood in school, so shouldn’t this be the first place we look to combat the overweight and childhood obesity epidemic?

In the 1980′s and 1990′s, there was a huge influx of school districts bringing in sugary soft drinks and snacks in exchange for a cut of the profit. In addition, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell are also cashing in on the opportunity to cater to a student population who are tired of bland pasta, meat patties, French fries, or overcooked vegetables. They are now available in more than half the schools in the U.S. It’s no surprise that rates of children who are overweight, suffering from childhood obesity, and diabetes are skyrocketing.

“We’re killing our kids,” said Texas Education Commissioner Susan Combs.

A report by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine concluded that there were two essential categories for children’s nutrition in schools:

-Childhood obesity and chronic disease prevention
-Nutrition and healthy eating initiatives

It also compiled the following criteria to help reduce childhood obesity and overweight issues:

-Does the district meet USDA requirements?
-Are their vegetarian alternatives?
-Are their healthy egg-free or dairy-free alternatives?
-Is there a variety of healthy egg-free or dairy-free alternatives?

Nutritional value is also measured.

-Do lunches offer essential vitamins and minerals and adequate fiber?
-Do lunches offer nondairy beverages which can help meet the nutritional needs of children with lactose intolerance or milk allergies.
-Do schools offer fruits and vegetables, which are high in fiber and nutrients and low in fat and calories?

Schools are also measured on whether they provide nutrition education, both in the cafeteria and classroom and innovation in the cafeteria. Examples of innovation would be cooking classes, farm-to-school programs, and taste-testing promotions for healthier foods.

Some critics argue that even if you provide vegetables and fruits, many children won’t eat them unless they’ve been over-steamed, which drains nutrients, or are fruits in sugary syrups. They also argue that you can’t simply force it onto their plates because it will just end up in the garbage. But that’s where the education portion comes in. Teaching children about the dangers of being overweight and being afflicted with childhood obesity, and letting them come to terms with it if they are, is an essential step in the right direction. Apathy is not the key.

However, the fact of the matter is, childhood obesity and overweight rates have skyrocketed almost threefold since the 80′s, and diseases associated with old age, such as diabetes or high blood pressure and cholesterol, are also following suit. Could these health issues, including hyperactivity because of increased blood sugar levels, have anything to do with decreasing academic performance, especially among young boys, because children are more likely to eat unhealthily and not get enough exercise? Probably.

Overweight or Obese

Obesity is nothing short of an epidemic in the United States. In fact, the term “Fat Americans” yields no less than 52,400 web results, and over 5 million image results (one of a person “walking” their dog from their car) on Google.

While the initial concerns over obesity is usually about how you look and how you feel about yourself, but the fact is, the longer the problem exists for you the more medical problems are going to arise, many of which can be fatal.

Obesity is a growing concern especially because overweight rates have more than double among children and tripled among adolescents. Before you write off your child’s weight as nothing more than “baby fat” or “big boned” consider the following diseases and conditions that are directly attributed to obesity.

1. Diabetes – A disorder where the pancreas is producing not enough or sometimes not any insulin. Obesity and being overweight is one of the main causes due to the body having excess glucose due to overeating.

2. Cancer – In all it’s forms and types, could be prevented with more attention to eating healthy and avoiding obesity and being overweight.

3. Congestive Heart Failure – A condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body’s other organs.

4. Enlarged Heart – The result of the heart muscle being overworked which naturally happened when you are overweight or suffer from obesity.

5. Pulmonary Embolism – A sometimes fatal blockage of an artery. Obesity and being overweight often contribute to a lack of activity which over prolonged periods can result in an embolism.

6. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome – A condition in which cysts form in your ovaries. These can burst causing further complications.

7. Gastro esophageal Reflux Disease – A common condition in overweight people, it is when stomach acid and juices flow from the stomach back up into the esophagus.

8. Fatty Liver Disease – A reversible condition in which large pockets of fat accumulate in liver cells. It is a single disease that occurs worldwide in people who intake excessive amounts of alcohol, suffer from obesity, or are overweight.

9. Erectile Dysfunction – The inability to develop or maintain an erection which can be caused by a medical problem associated with obesity or a psychological condition.

10. Urinary Incontinence – The inability to control ones urine. It is frequently associated with obesity and weak bladder or pelvic floor muscles.

11. Chronic Renal Failure – Also known as chronic kidney failure, is often associated with the poor diet of those who are overweight or suffering from obesity.

12. Stroke – A lack of blood supply as the body, especially the heart, must work harder when you are obese.

13. Depression – When a person feels sad all the time. This occurs, and is aggravated, for obvious self-esteem issues stemming from being overweight.

14. Osteoarthritis – Obesity often results in extreme cartilage wear due to excess weight.

15. Hernia – When the hole in the diaphragm weakens and enlarges.

Childhood Obesity

When should you start becoming concerned about your child’s weight? Sure, all children gain weight and many grow into it well. But a few too many extra pounds, more than needed to support growth and development, can lead to childhood obesity.

Childhood obesity is clinically defined as when a child’s BMI exceeds 30. This is also the case for adult obesity. Childhood obesity is particularly troubling because diseases and illnesses associated with older people and adults, such as diabetes or high cholesterol, are becoming increasingly common in children.

The following are some jaw-dropping statistics compiled by the CDC on childhood obesity:

According to the CDC, 16 percent (or 9 million) of children ages 6-19 years old suffer from obesity, a statistic that has tripled since 1980. Another 15 percent were considered at risk of becoming overweight. That makes 18 million children in that age group suffering from obesity or at a high-risk for the condition.

In addition, the CDC also found that over the past three decades childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 and adolescents aged 12-19 and has more than tripled for children aged 6-11. Overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming obese and overweight adults.

One of the best strategies for combating childhood obesity is to improve the diet and activity levels of your entire family. The following is a series of steps to take in helping you child overcome obesity.

1. Have your child examined by a family doctor or pediatrician to rule out any medical causes for obesity and determine if your child can safely participate in vigorous physical activities.

2. Sit down with your whole family and talk about ways to become healthier that year. Be sure you don’t single out your obese child, but strive to make everyone feel and look better. Remember this, if a parent or both suffers from obesity, your overweight child has a 80% chance of growing up into obesity.

3. Don’t make succumbing to childhood obesity any easier for your child. Go through the pantry and refrigerator and throw out all junk food. Potato chips, pre-sweetened cereals, candy, cookies, ice cream, and sodas (try seltzer water with a little bit of juice). Don’t ban your kid from ever eating them, but not having them in the house will simply make it inconvenient to indulge. Forbidding these items completely will just make them more desirable.

4. If your child or even your family is suffering from obesity, limit fast food and pizza delivery to once a week. Meals prepared at home are generally lower in fat and sugar than fast food meals. To make it easier to always have home-cooked meals, use a crock pot the night before to create some really amazing dishes that will be ready the next day or partially prepare meals and freeze them. Many of the chronic illnesses associated with obesity are linked to a poor diet.

5. Try to avoid having your child come home to an empty house every day after school. Try a Boys & Girls Club if babysitting is out of your budget or try asking a neighbor. Children suffering from childhood obesity are often teased and bullied at school, resulting in there coming home and eating comfort food to make themselves feel better.

6. Get the whole family involved, especially if you all suffer from obesity, in a weekly or daily physical activity. Skate, walk, run, or bike, it doesn’t matter as long as every one picks one and does it. Even if you live in a neighborhood that isn’t conducive to nighttime outings (read: dangerous), pop in an exercise DVD or take advantage of tons of free online resources regarding obesity treatment. However, always ask a doctor if you and your family is healthy enough to participate in strenuous exercises.

7. Don’t let childhood obesity get your kid down. Always remind them of how much you love them for reasons besides appearance. Give your child opportunities to develop skills and talents to increase his self-confidence. Don’t let childhood obesity cause depression or social anxiety. Always support them.

Treatment Overview

Treatment for obesity and overweight will be most successful if you create a long-term plan and set reasonable goals with your doctor. Your initial goal should be to improve health, not to achieve an ideal weight. People with clinical obesity or overweight can actually be healthier, when measuring factors such as heart recovery following exercise, than sedentary normal-weighted people.

Although the formula for curing obesity and overweight seems simple, burn more calories than you take in, sounds simple, it is awfully difficult in practice, especially, if a person has lost weight before only to gain it back and then some. As a result, surgery and medication is becoming increasingly popular for people suffering from obesity and overweight. However, health guidelines suggest that people should attempt to make lifestyle changes for at least 6 months before trying surgery or medication to solve their obesity or overweight.

1. Initial Treatment

Be realistic, if you don’t think you are ready to lose weight, focus on improving your health and not gaining any weight. Obesity and overweight is more readily being seen as the end-result, not catalyst, of poor health.  Improve your health and your overweight problem should soon follow suit.

I. Eating Right
Aim for a goal of 1200-1800 calories a day. Research shows that limiting calories, not food types, cause you to
lose more weight. Eat foods that you enjoy, just remember to control portion sizes.

II. Increase Physical Activity
Physical activity helps you burn more calories. One of the best ways to increase your activity is simply walking.
It is an activity you can do safely and routinely alone and is easy to work into the daily schedule. Try using a
step counter as a motivation to improve. Consult your doctor for a moderate and vigorous exercise regiments
and if it is safe for you to do them.

III. Stick With It
There are so many factors that can make us stray from our plans. So start keeping track of everything: start a
food journal, count your steps, track calories burned and factor it into your daily calorie intake. As they say,
seeing is believing and simply looking at the progress you’ve made can be the motivating factor to push you
into the next day. Just remember, battling obesity and overweight may take just as long to heal as it took to
accumulate.

2. Ongoing Treatment

See your doctor after 6 months or so to get an accurate reading on your progress. Some people stop losing weight around this time, because their bodies adjust to the fewer calories, and this effects morale. Your doctor may recommend that you increase your activity and revisit a dietician or nutritionist to further alter your diet. At this point, your goal may switch from losing weight to keeping the weight off. Don’t be discouraged, you have made substantial progress in the battle against obesity and overweight at this point.

In addition, if you cannot lose weight or keep the weight off, it may be time to consider medicines to supplement your new lifestyle change. Remember, medicines without lifestyle changes only result in short-term results at best.

3. Treatment If The Condition Gets Worse

If you’ve made a lifestyle change, but your obesity continues to get worse, it may be time to consider surgery and medicines. The following treatment options are available:

I. Stomach stapling or gastric banding – Both make your stomach smaller and are reversible surgeries.
II. Roux-en-Y bypass or biliopancreatic diversion – Makes your stomach smaller as well, but also limits how much
food is absorbed in the small intestine.

Obesity Statistics

A 2003 Food and Drug Administration hearing on obesity had the Center for Consumer Freedom discussing how the three most commonly used statistics associated with the overweight and obesity epidemic are all seriously flawed. The three statistics are: 1) Obesity causes 300,000 deaths a year; 2) 61 percent of Americans are overweight or suffering from obesity; and 3) the economic cost of obesity is $117 billion a year.

A New England Journal of Medicine article in 1998 found that “although some claim that every year 300,000 deaths in the United States are caused by obesity, that figure is by no means well established… [and] is derived from weak [and] incomplete data.” Likewise, the assertion that 61 percent of Americans are overweight or suffering from obesity completely ignores the 1998 redefinition that took the counter-intuitive step of judging men and women by the same standard, thereby creating 30 million new Americans became overweight over night, this included the very fit president at the time.

As for the $117 billion a year on overweight and obesity-related complications figure, it was often said to have come from the Surgeon General himself, but as CCF’s testimony revealed, it was actually an excerpt from a study published in the journal Obesity Research. It admitted that, “We are still uncertain about the actual amount of health utilization associated with overweight and obesity,” they also added, “Height and weight are not included in many of the primary data sources…”

To nail the coffin on this figure, the authors also admitted that their flawed methodology in calculating the cost of overweight would inflate the cost estimate, resulting in a double or triple counting of the costs of overweight and obesity. It assumed conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, heart disease, and a host of others were occurring independently when there is irrefutable evidence of the interdependence among these diseases.

It’s authors also incorrectly defined obesity, citing a BMI greater than or equal to 29, when the actual definition is greater than or equal to 30, thus incorrectly including an additional 10 million Americans to their obesity statistic.

The bottom line is being a few pounds overweight doesn’t mean you can’t be fit.

Consider the benefits of being overweight (and active), compared to normal-weight and inactive, as you get older:

1) One German study found that overall mortality is unchanged by overweight, but increased by 20% for obesity, and extreme obesity raises it by up to 200%. As people grow older, it becomes less of a factor.

2) The same study found that a larger BMI lowers the risk of bone and hip fracture.

3) A revised CDC report in 2005 found that contrary to the previous year’s report of 400,000 deaths associated with obesity, the actual number was at about 25,814 as a result of overweight and obesity.

4) Compared to a normal-weight couch potato, someone who is overweight and walks for 150 minutes a week has a 50% lower risk of death

5) A 12 year study of 11,000 Canadians found that people who were overweight lived the longest, especially if they were over the ago of 60.

Fighting Obesity

Obesity is a medical condition in which excess body fat has accumulated to the extent that it may have an adverse effect on health. It is often the result of excessive calorie intake, lack of physical activity, and genetic predispositions.

The primary treatment for obesity is dieting and physical exercise. If this fails, anti-obesity drugs may be taken to reduce appetite or inhibit fat absorption. In extreme cases, surgery is performed or an intra-gastric balloon is placed to reduce stomach reduce stomach volume or bowel length. This leads to earlier satiation and the reduced ability to absorb nutrients from food.

Obesity is associated with an array of diseases, particularly heart disease, type 2 diabetes, respiratory diseases, sleep apnea, arthritis, and cancer. It is one of the leading preventable causes of death worldwide and health officials consider it as one of the most serious public health problems in the 21st century.

BMI is the leading indicator of obesity and is categorized thus:

1) < 18.5 BMI = Underweight
2) 18.5-24.9 = Normal weight
3) 25.0-29.9 = Overweight
4) 30.0-34.9 = Class I obesity
5) 35.0-39.9 = Class II obesity
6) > 40.0 = Class III obesity

In addition, some revised definitions include the following:

1) A BMI of 40.0-49.9 = Morbid Obesity
2) A BMI > 50 = Super Obesity

However, it is worth noting that BMI is highly subjective when considering people such as bodybuilders whose weight and height may classify them as overweight or obese, but they are actually mostly lean mass.

One of the focal points of the battle against obesity has been childhood obesity. Treatments used for childhood obesity mainly focus on lifestyle interventions and behavioral techniques. Surgery and medication is not FDA approved in this age group but has been used in some very extreme cases. It makes sense to begin with childhood obesity simply because they are the highest-risk group to become obese adults.

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the 21st century in both developed and developing worlds. In the United States, depending on the age group, rates of childhood obesity have double and tripled.

Rising childhood obesity has been blamed on everything from self-propelled transportation, lack of school physical education, and a drop in organized sports. However, the overwhelming majority of experts agree that when it comes to childhood obesity, genetics accounts for a minute proportion, but lifestyle habits is the number one cause of childhood obesity.

Childhood obesity often persists into adulthood, studies show that 70% of obese children go on to become obese adults and 80% suffering from childhood obesity go on to become obese adults if either or both parents are obese.

The following are the leading 5 ways to battle obesity:

1) The main treatment course is diet and exercise. Not only does this produce weight loss, but also lessens the chances of developing the many chronic illnesses associated with obesity.

2) Weight loss programs are a great way to find support to promote lifestyle changes. They have shown modest results in weight loss, but can go a long way in changing the mental state of someone suffering from obesity.

3) FDA approved obesity medication is available in two forms: orlistat, or Xenical, reduces intestinal fat absorption and sibutramine (Meridia) is a neuro-inhibitor which curbs your appetite.

4) Surgery generally takes the form of a band placed around the stomach or bowel shortening surgery. These options are reserved for those suffering from severe or morbid obesity.

Prevent Obesity

We all know the dangers of obesity and overweight. While it is true that being a little overweight is extremely subjective to body-type (higher levels of abdominal fat is worse than fat that is evenly distributed throughout the body), obesity and overweight contributes to an already bursting health care budget. Overweight and obesity are associated with an increased risk for some types of cancer. An overweight person has a 20% greater mortality rate from associated conditions than a normal weighted individual while someone suffering from obesity has a 70% greater chance and someone who is suffering from morbid obesity has a 200% greater mortality rate. Statistics have revealed that two of the most commonly associated diseases with obesity and overweight, stroke and heart failure, are also the two principal causes of death and disability among people in the U.S.

In addition to the above, obesity and overweight have been attributed to various mental illnesses such as depression, social anxiety, and even Alzheimer’s.

There are probably too many healthy foods out there to list and although it would make for an important topic, so let’s focus on the most common bad foods and how to avoid them.

The typical American diet is chock full of the following:

1) Refined sugars
2) Hydrogenated and refined oils
3) Chemicals and preservatives

The above have been increasingly added to our diet over the last several decades and has had an enormous effect on overweight and obesity.

The following food categories are often the most common ways we gorge ourselves into obesity and overweight on those three unnecessary substances:

1) Processed and Junk Food – Any food that has chemicals, preservatives, hydrogenated and refined oils, and refined sugars is not good for you. Fast food is high in all of the above. Pay attention to ingredients labels and avoid foods with high sugar, hydrogenated or refined oils, and dyes or colorings.

2) Avoid The Processed “White Devils” – This would encompass white processed flour, many processed wheat products, white bread, non-whole grain pasta, white rice, crackers, cereals, and non-whole wheat pizzas. These products are highly processed, high in sugar and carbohydrates and low in nutrients.

3) Avoid Refined Sugar – Refined sugar is often called a “poison” by nutritionists. It holds zero nutritional value and is merely empty calories. If you can do away with one substance for your life, it should be refined sugars.

Instead, anyone suffering from obesity or overweight should consider the following:

1) Lean meat – Whether it’s beef, pork, lamb, or chicken, they are all excellent sources of protein and do not contain large amounts of fat

2) Protein-rich foods – Protein rich foods appear to trigger mechanisms in our brain telling us we are full.

3) Pasta, rice, rye bread, and other whole grain foods are useful because they contain complex carbohydrates and have a low calorie count. These foods are digested slowly and lead to a gradual rise in blood sugar levels, unlike the spikes caused by fast foods, and leaves the stomach feeling fuller for longer.

4) Yogurts and fruits make good snacks because they help keep the biochemistry of the blood balanced. They can also be combined to make a pretty delicious snack. Be careful of taking in too much refined sugars though.

Children's Weight

Results of a American College of Gastroenterology’s 73rd Annual Scientific Meeting in Orlando revealed that many parents do not accurately perceive their children as overweight or at risk for adult obesity. Obesity is often accompanied by an increased risk for a wide array of diseases stemming either from being overweight, or lifestyle habits that brought about being overweight.

In the study, 46 parents of children ages 5 to 9 with a BMI in the 70th percentile or higher (95th and higher is overweight and 85th and above is at-risk) were chosen for the study. Child height and weight were measured during a routine pediatric visit. Parents were then mailed a series of questionnaires which included questions on their perception of their child’s current weight, and whether they perceived that their child was at risk for developing obesity as an adult.

Despite the elevated BMI of their children, less than 13% of the parents of overweight children reported their child as currently overweight. Fewer than one-third perceived that their child’s risk for adult obesity was above average or very high.

This misconception is despite the fact that 17% of children in the U.S. between the ages of 2 and 19 are diagnosed with obesity. An even more startling fact is that children in within that age range who are currently suffering from childhood obesity have a 70% likelihood of growing into adult obesity. This number is bumped an additional 10% if they have a parent, or both, with obesity or overweight problems.

Since parents are probably the most influential factor in laying the foundation for a child’s weight problems, it’s obvious something need to be done to curb the parental disillusionment with childhood obesity and overweight and, in turn, the obesity-overweight epidemic across the world.

In another study, in the U.K., only 1.9% of parents with children at risk for overweight or obesity accurately identified as being at risk for or being overweight. Only 17.1 percent of parents with overweight children accurately identified their child as being at risk for or being overweight.

In New York, the parents who had concern for their children’s’ overweight, 76% thought it was a concern similar to those about sunburn, while 67% found that concerns about overweight and obesity were similar to prolonged television watching.

Although the numbers only say so much, underlying, yet common, quirks identified by researchers were that a parent’s inability to recognize their child’s risk for obesity was especially pronounced if the parents themselves were suffering from obesity or overweight. This is despite the jaw dropping 80% chance a overweight or obese child has of adult obesity if they have one or more parents who are overweight or obese. Cultural influences also may have played a factor. More black women reported being satisfied with their larger size and overweight than white women.