Are Our Kids Getting Fatter?
Today, about one in three children in America is overweight or obese, which is almost triple the rate in the early 60s, according to the American Heart Association. The rapid, continuing increase in incidence has made obesity the number one health problem in the United States, surpassing smoking and drug abuse. Due to the relentless climb of obesity incidence, today’s American generation is predicted to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. Indeed, kids in America are getting fatter – and at a fast rate.
Excess body weight is plainly linked to chronic medical conditions like hypertension, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and even cancer. These health problems set in increasingly earlier as American children put on too much weight at progressively younger ages. While it has grown into an epidemic over the years, experts say the solution can start at home.
Stanford Prevention Research Center (SPRC) enumerates three key behaviors that need to be addressed and they are rooted at home.
• Families with hectic schedules turn to fast food for their meals. • Children spend a huge amount of time watching television, playing computer and video games and are often eating junk food and soda while watching or playing. • Families in poor neighborhoods do not have access to healthy food or secure areas for physical activity.
In an attempt to determine, eradicate, and alter these risky behaviors, SPRC researchers have launched a study founded on the proposition that minimizing the occurrence of sedentary activities can lessen the incidence of obesity in children. According to the SPRC, the involvement is an extension of a previous school-based curriculum that showed a remarkable improvement in obesity brought about by reduction in media use. The SPRC is still ongoing but positive results may be anticipated basing on the outcome of the earlier study.
Proper diet for children
There is much focus on the food choices that children are faced with today as many of these food options are detrimental to health. Sugary drinks and less healthy food are easily available at vending machines in school cafeterias. Portion sizes of less healthy foods such as those in fast food restaurants and grocery stores are also increasing, which means more calories. Experts say that the best way to address the eating issue is by focusing on small but permanent changes in the diet instead of implementing short-term changes that cannot be maintained. Apart from gradual improvements in the diet, including Garcinia Cambogia Extract in the diet upgrade is also beneficial since it helps control food cravings in children.
Children and exercises
According to the AHA, many children today on average run a mile 90 seconds slower than their counterparts 3 decades ago. This suggests that the fitness level of kids today is going downhill. Add to that study findings that revealed cardiovascular endurance across nations dwindled approximately 5% every 10 years. The drop is observed in both boys and girls aged 9 to 17 years. The decline has been attributed to obesity.
To stay healthy, kids have to perform at least an hour of physical exertion such as walking, running on the playground, and cycling to school every day. But instead of doing the exercises in one session, they can be done in small chunks. The key is to make children perform dynamic and sustained activities that make them sweat to promote cardiovascular health. Keeping the kids active can reduce their risk of heart-related diseases and the sooner the children begin the exercise habit, the better for them.
Families have a major role to play in reducing obesity in children in order to ensure a healthy future for the children in America. By helping children to make gradual but effective lifestyle changes, children can lead healthier lives.
