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Be fit for life, not fat
"We are seeing more and more very young children who are
overweight," says Eva Tsalikian, M.D., Children's Hospital
of Iowa pediatrician. Since 1960, the number of children who
are obese has doubled in the United States. The U.S.
government estimates that some six million children are now
overweight enough to endanger their health.
(Obesity is loosely defined as weight that is 20 percent
more than appropriate for height and build.)
"Studies show that obesity in children leads to obesity
in adults, with resulting complications," says Tsalikian.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), between 1990 and 1998, obesity fueled a 33 percent
jump in adult diabetes. However, the statistics are more
alarming for young adults - for those between the ages of 30
to 39, the increase was 70 percent.
Why are so many children overweight? Less activity and
high calorie diets are the most common reasons according to
Tsalikian. In a study of 400 teenagers, about one third
failed to get enough calcium, iron, and several major
vitamins. More than 65 percent of children between the ages
of six and 19 eat too much total fat. Half of young people
between ages of 12 to 21 engage in no regular vigorous
physical activity.
Why has this become an epidemic among young people?
- Many parents think their children will grow out of
it. Some children do "outgrow" weight problems. Only 20
percent of overweight four- and five-year olds become
overweight adults. However, evidence shows that children
who remain heavy through adolescence tend to stay that
way as adults.
- Society has changed. You need look no further than
the demise of home cooking and the increase of fast food
meals. The snacks and sodas many of today's young people
consider "normal" food are empty calories that do not
promote a healthy life style.
Children suffer physically and emotionally by being
overweight. For many children, it is not the extra pounds
that take the greatest emotional toll - it is the reaction
of family and peers.
Self-esteem becomes an issue. The child's obesity may be
compounded by depression, anxiety, or an eating disorder. It
is important for parents not to regard a plump child as a
blight on their image or as a personal failure. Parents need
to focus on helping the child, and the whole family, create
and maintain healthy eating behaviors.
One of the most negative things a parent can do for an
overweight child is to restrict food. Don't become the "food
police." Your kids will hide food and lie about what was or
was not eaten. They want to make you happy and don't want
you angry with them. This behavior may be the beginning of a
lifelong pattern. If children don't learn to manage food at
home, they probably won't make good food decisions outside
the home when peer pressure plays a powerful role.
Most children don't need a parent to tell them they are
overweight. They know that from a variety of sources. What
they do need is your help to focus on health, not
appearance, and more activity and not what and how much they
eat.
If you have a health-related question, or to make an
appointment, call UI Health Access - 800- 777-8442 or
384-8442.
More information:
Listed above are several Web sites that offer additional
information on this topic. University of Iowa Health Care
does not sponsor or endorse these sites, or guarantee the
accuracy of the information contained on these sites. These
links are here for general information only, and should not
be used for personal diagnosis or treatment. If you have any
questions, please contact UI Health Access.
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SHAPEDOWN is not a diet
"It has more to do with lifestyles than with a diet
mentality," said Joni Troester, UI Family Care Counseling
and Health Promotion Services. "SHAPEDOWN is a family
program. We work with kids and their parents to help them
develop healthy behaviors and determine how to incorporate
those behaviors into their lives.
"We also work with the family to help improve a child's
self-esteem and self image," Troester said. The next 10-week
program will begin in January. Call 384-7900 for more
information and to make a reservation.
The program is sponsored by UI Family Care Counseling and
Health Promotion Services, in conjunction with the
Rehabilitation Therapies and the Children's Hospital of
Iowa.
If you have a health-related question, or to make an
appointment, call UI Health Access - 800- 777-8442 or
384-8442.
More information:
Listed above are several Web sites that offer additional
information on this topic. University of Iowa Health Care
does not sponsor or endorse these sites, or guarantee the
accuracy of the information contained on these sites. These
links are here for general information only, and should not
be used for personal diagnosis or treatment. If you have any
questions, please contact UI Health Access.
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Did you know . . .
Obesity is fast becoming an epidemic in the United States
and no group has been hit harder than America's children.
According to the National Center for Health Statistics, 14
percent of children between the ages of six and 11 are
overweight (1988 to 1994). That is a six percent increase
over the 1976 to 1980 period. The percentage of teenagers
(ages 12 to 17) who are overweight increase by six percent
(1976 to 1980) to 11 percent (1988 to1994).
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