| Statistics in the United States show that obesity
among 12 to 17 year old children more than doubled between 1963 and 1991. Even though
being overweight may simply be part of growing up, and many who are overweight as children
or teenagers shed the excess weight as they mature, those statistics are based on facts:
people in the USA are generally getting heavier. A number of factors contribute to the
problem. Inactivity is widespread, unhealthy eating habits abound, and genetic
predisposition, or an inherited tendency to be overweight, all play a role. This problem
is not confined to the USA, or even to the West. It is becoming increasingly common in
Asia as well. As people eat more Western food, especially fast food and snacks, and as
children walk less and spend more time watching television and playing electronic games,
their weight goes up, just as it has in Western countries. Cultural factors also play an
important role. In the Western world there is generally no cultural bias toward seeing an
overweight child as being well loved and cared for. In some other parts of the world,
however, having an overweight child is a sign that the parents are caring for the child
and that he or she is loved--and that the parents are able to provide enough food! It is
important to keep cultural differences in mind when considering such health issues.  Risks of being overweight
Although there are fewer health risks associated with childhood
obesity than with adult obesity, statistics show that overweight children become
overweight adults, and the risks of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke
and even some forms of cancer are higher for obese adults than for adults with normal
weights. This is clearly a problem.
Nutritional Needs of Adolescents
Good nutrition is especially important for older children and
adolescents. This period in their lives is characterized by rapid growth and accelerating
physical development. Growing kids need a good supply of antioxidants and other vitamins
and minerals, and food that has the right balance of fats, carbohydrates and proteins.
Unfortunately, many adolescents and older children also cultivate busy social calendars
and are dealing with peer pressure as they develop their self-identity and body image.
Their growth rate is faster than at any other time in their lives except infancy, and
their nutrient and energy requirements are also greater than at any other time. Many
children's nutrition is characterized by haphazard meals, frequent snacks and fast foods,
just when they need good food the most. Kids' eating habits give them too much of some
things--fat and carbohydrates-- and too little of other things--like vitamins.
What's missing?
Because they have poor eating habits and hectic schedules, many
adolescents get much less vitamin D than they need, and consequently too little calcium at
the time when they need more to support their growing bodies. Another nutrient adolescents
often get too little of is vitamin A, which is important for healthy skin and good vision.
The B vitamins found in whole grains and dairy products, eggs, liver, some lean meats,
green vegetables, white meats (poultry, fish, pork) and bananas are also essential for
proper development and often in short supply.
More that half of all North American children said in a recent
survey that they don't get enough physical activity due to lack of time, homework, lack of
interest, or competition from TV, video games, or computers. A teenager's total caloric
intake and his or her activity level both play an important role in determining the
child's weight. Similar situations are seen elsewhere in the world.
Because eating and fitness habits developed during childhood have
the potential to last a lifetime, the goal is to help the adolescent and the family
improve or establish healthy eating behaviors without dieting, which can also affect
growth and development. When a young person senses that he or she is heavier than other
people in the circle of friends, the child is often tempted to try to lose weight by
severely restricting what he or she eats. Since teenagers' diets often lack important
nutrients in the first place, drastically reducing their food intake is simply adding fuel
to the fire of poor nutrition.
Problems of dieting
One complication of dieting in some people in this age group is
anorexia nervosa, a serious medical and psychological condition characterized by a
distorted body image and a sense of always being too heavy, even if the person is severely
underweight and literally starving. People with anorexia nervosa--mostly young women--also
often exercise to exhaustion in their attempts to lose weight. Anorexia nervosa is
difficult to treat and requires the combined efforts of medical doctors and psychologists.
Anorexia is so dangerous that people who suffer from it may die of starvation.
Bulimia is another complication of attempted weight-loss gone wrong.
Bulimics eat large amounts of food in binges and then cause themselves to vomit up
everything they've eaten. The result is much the same as in anorexia nervosa, with the
added complication of destruction of the teeth by the stomach acid and the risk of
rupturing the esophagus when vomiting. Bulimia is a difficult medical and psychological
problem as well, but seems to respond to treatment more readily.
Another complication of teenage dieting is the yo-yo effect, in
which a person loses weight when dieting but regains all the weight lost and usually even
more when the diet stops, and then starts the whole process all over again.
It is difficult to predict if a child may become anorexic or
bulimic, or which may experience the yo-yo effect. Preventing obesity and the desire to
diet is much safer--and actually much easier.
What To Do
Because good nutrition is of great importance during childhood and
adolescence, and because being overweight can have serious consequences, but also because
kids may be extreme in their own attempts to control their weight, a reasonable and
moderate approach gets the best results. Kids tend to become leaner when they increase
their activity, so fitness and increased physical activity are a safer way of dealing with
childhood obesity than dieting. When exercise is added to moderate dietary changes such as
eating low-fat snacks and eating fast food less often, even greater weight losses are
possible. Studies that compare dieters who only watch their caloric intake to dieters who
diet and exercise together show that the diet plus exercise group lose more weight and
fat, and do it in a healthier way.
Family involvement
Family involvement helps to support and teach all family members to
choose healthy foods and to fit exercise into otherwise busy schedules. Big changes are
most easily achieved in small steps, however. Making little changes and getting used to
them before going on can add up to large successes. Gradually changing the snack foods
parents buy from high-fat foods to healthier ones is an important first step. Encouraging
children to be at home at a specific time for a family supper can also reduce the amount
of fast-food kids eat when away from home. Children learn by example, so parents and older
siblings can be role models where diet and exercise are concerned. When parents eat
healthier snacks and have regular meals, children will do so too.
Physical activity
Adding physical activity to an already busy day can seem almost
impossible, but with a little planning it can fit smoothly with other tasks. Walking is a
very good exercise; only running, bicycling and swimming burn more calories, and you can
walk any time and almost anywhere. In cities you--and your children--can get off the bus
one stop earlier and walk to your destination. People who drive cars can park at the end
of the parking row and walk as well. It adds only a little time to the journey, and the
benefits add up quickly. Exercise physiologists--specialists in how exercise affects the
body--have found that as little as a total of 30 minutes of walking a day can be a very
effective way to control--and to lose--weight. That may seem like a lot, but it is really
only 10 3-minute walks a day, not very much. Children with sedentary parents can still be
encouraged to have physical activity by enrolling them in sports or activities.
Habits
The habits formed in childhood are often the habits of adulthood, so
learning healthy ways of eating and preventing or dealing with obesity early are lessons
that may last for many years. We want our children to lead long and happy lives, lives
that should be healthy as well. Teach your children well. They will thank you for it.
|
