U.S. children’s obesity rates rise alarmingly, finds new report

Just when we thought we were making some progress on reducing childhood obesity, the latest analysis of federal data published in the journal Pediatrics finds it isn’t so. This latest report has found obesity remains a major problem for our youth due to a major leap in numbers of children carrying excess pounds.

What the report says about childhood obesity

This latest report is based on the data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). To measure the rate of childhood obesity, the NHANES survey is one way the federal government uses to do so.

Disappointingly, found was the percentage of children ages 2 to 19 who are obese increased from 14 percent in 1999 to 18.5 percent in 2015 and 2016. Even more alarming is that there was no statistical difference in the overall obesity rate between 2013-2014 and 2015-2016 surveys meaning that any hopes that childhood obesity rates had been dashed.

One of the biggest concerns from this survey was that of a disturbingly large increase in obesity among children ages 2 to 5 years old. In this age group alone, obesity increased from about 9 percent to almost 14 percent. The younger children are when they become obese, the more likely these children will retain that weight throughout childhood into adulthood.

The main takeaway from this report is that obesity among our youth still remains a problem and indicates the hopes that the research money and public health dollars poured into this issue has not made much of a dent at all. Unless new efforts are put forth to find out the causes of increasing rates of childhood obesity, the health of our future generation is at stake.

What efforts can be done?

Preventing childhood obesity has been a continual battle for the past 30 years. It’s proven to be very challenging since obesity has more than doubled in children and has quadrupled in adolescents during the past three decades.

To get to the heart of the matter, to really tackle the issue of childhood obesity, it begins in the home starting with the parents and including the rest of the family. When the whole family is involved in consuming balanced meals and boosting physical activity, the goal of accomplishing a healthy lifestyle is possible with less chance of children becoming overweight to obese.

But it’s the parents who will be the most influential force in shaping the eating and exercise habits of children. When parents set the patterns for healthy lifestyle eating habits, the children will most likely follow their lead.

Placing a child on a weight loss diet is generally not recommended as diet restriction can easily interfere with normal growth and make them feel singled out from the rest of the family. The goal is usually to slow down or at least stabilize the rate of a child’s weight gain while the child grows taller and likely ‘grow into their weight.’

Here are health-promoting habits the whole family can benefit from helping reduce childhood obesity:

· Learn and use appropriate food portions.

· Involve children in planning and preparing family meals.

· Set regular mealtimes and dine together as a family frequently.

· Plan and provide a wide variety of nutritious snacks low in fat and sugar

· Provide a nutritious breakfast every day.

· Limit high-sugar, high-fat foods, especially sugar-sweetened soft drinks, fruit-flavored punches, or sweet tea. Limit juice intake to no more than 4-6 ounces a day.

· Set a good example and demonstrate positive behaviors for children to imitate.

· Slow down eating and pause to enjoy each other’s companionship at the dinner table.

· Allow children to stop eating when full. They will learn to listen to their body and how to regulate their food intake better by doing so.

· Do not use food to reward or punish behavior.

· Involve children in daily active outdoor play or structured physical activities as a family.

· Set a good example by taking good care of yourself by eating healthy and exercising regularly.

· Limit television, computer and video game time – no more than 2 hours a day, ideally less; set a rule on how much time they are allowed and turn off the TV during mealtimes.

· Celebrate family special events and holidays with outdoor activities such as a softball game, a hike, going to a zoo, or a summer swim.

· Keep a calendar of scheduled family meals and activity events where everyone can read it.

When you respect and are sensitive to your child’s eating, this can develop into a lifelong healthy relationship with food where they view eating as a pleasure and something to look forward to along with establishing healthy eating habits.