Prevent Childhood Obesity
Overweight Children - A "National Epidemic" Says The Surgeon General
Mar 28, 2008
This generation does not have to struggle to put food on the table. Good food and a wide variety of foods are readily available. Regardless of your meal preferences or dietary needs, it’s relatively easy to find what you need and want to feed your son.
Food - Quick and Easy
Convenience foods can be purchased virtually anywhere. Pizza can be at the front door in a half hour with a quick phone call. Tired after work? Pull up to a drive through window on the way home and order a meal to-go. Take a good look at the local grocery store shelves. You’ll find that you can purchase almost any meal ready made or ready to pop in the microwave. That’s not to say that these are good choices. They just are choices.
Unfortunately, easy access to food has resulted in a national crisis with obesity across all age groups and for both boys and girls. We’re now seeing a sharp increase in diabetes, cholesterol levels, triglycerides, blood pressure and other health problems associated with poor food choices and over consumption.
Childhood Obesity - National Epidemic
In fact, the Surgeon General has declared childhood obesity a “national epidemic.” A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) finds that the incidence of obesity in children ages two to five years has increased from 5% in 1976-1980 to 13.9% as measured in 2003-2004.
Obesity in preschoolers is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a BMI (body mass index) at or above the 95th percentile for age and gender. Preschool children defined as obese (overweight is the word used) have more than doubled in recent years with those children falling in the obese category being considerably heavier than those in the same category during earlier decades.
Role of Parents
Parents help build and shape lifelong eating patterns. We are what we eat as the old saying goes, and we are likely to model the food and meal rituals of our families. That doesn’t mean that bad nutritional habits can’t be changed. If your diet is less than stellar, consider dietary changes an investment in your future as well as that of your son. Setting a good example, offering a wide variety of nutritious, age appropriate foods and discussing health and nutrition during the preschool years will stand your son or daughter well as he/she enters school and begins making personal decisions about lunch and snack offerings.
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