Supportive Organizations

Be Involved and Join

     Here are some organizations that are highly involved in raising awareness and are determined to solve the issue of childhood obesity. There are a lot more other organizations that are just as involved, but here are just some examples:

Let's Move!

     Let's Move is a government organization established by First Lady Michelle Obama. It is an organization dedicated to solve the challenge of childhood obesity. It is built on the foundation to eat healthy, get active, and take action. Includes full reports on childhood obesity that is addressed to the president.
Link: http://www.letsmove.gov/







Obesity Action Coalition (OAC)
       The OAC has nearly 50,000 members. It is a non-profitable organization with a mission to evaluate and empower those that are affected by obesity. The organization raise awareness and fulfill its mission through advocacy, education, and support.
Link: http://www.obesityaction.org/     

Shape Up America! (SUA)

     The SUA was established with the purpose to educate the American public regarding the important of maintaining weight. Its goal focuses on redefining weight management through physical activities and healthy dieting. The SUA encourages the Americans to maintain their weight with scientific research and findings.

Link: http://www.shapeup.org/

 

                  

Prevention

Ways to Maintain and Control Your Children's Weight

There are many ways in which parents can be responsible for maintaining children's weight. While diet and exercises control is important, the first step is to be aware of the issue and whether your children is in risks of overweight.

BMI Value:

     The BMI or Body Mass Index is a number value that is calculated based on a child's weight and height. It is a reliable indicator of body fat for children. The BMI does not measure fat directly but rather using a child's weight and height to find a corresponding fat measurement.
     After acquiring the BMI value, it is then plotted into a percentile. The percentile shows what your child's BMI value is in comparison to other children in same age and sex. Here is a chart provided by Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC):
    

Weight Status Category	Percentile Range
Underweight	Less than the 5th percentile
Healthy weight	5th percentile to less than the 85th percentile
Overweight	85th to less than the 95th percentile
Obese	Equal to or greater than the 95th percentile

     Realizing your children's BMI value and its percentile can help you become more aware of the situation that your children is in. BMI value is a screening tool that is easily accessible and quickest way to assess if your children is in risk of overweight or obese.

Healthy Eating:

• Fresh Fruits: Fruits contain many nutrients and vitamins that are so important in children's diet. However, fresh fruits should not be substituted with fruit juices, even those that labels "100% Juice." Many of these juice beverages contain high amounts of added sugar that can cause even more weight gain on children. So instead of packing your children 's lunch box with a juice box, try packing it with a whole fruit. It can surely make a difference.
• Fresh Vegetables: Fresh vegetables contain the fibers that are beneficial to children's body. These fibers can help with children's metabolism and digestion. Without the supply of fibers found in vegetables,  your children may suffer from poor digestion problem and constipation.

Daily Exercising:

• Strong evidence supports that physical activities can help children maintain and prevent excess weight gaining. It is recommended that children should do at least 60 min of physical activity each day. For children, exercising does not have to be vigorous. Children have a natural tendency to run around and play. These "play times" are important for the development of children's cognitive, motor, and social skills (Koplan, 2005). 

What Causes Obesity in Children?

Causes and Reasons

     There are many reasons that contribute to overweight in children. Although there are some that are genetic and hormonal causes, most of the cases are due to overeating and under-exercising. Children are required to take in a certain amount of calories to have a proper growth, but if children are taking in these calories more than what they are burning off, the result will likely be unnecessary weight gaining. The two main causes for obesity in children are:

• Diet: It is quite common nowadays to hear how bad and how much calories are in fast foods, but what most parents don't realize is that fast foods aren't the only ones that can cause weight-gaining in children. The typical school lunches can have an impact on your children's weight in a way that many parents have not noticed. One of the most significant ones is fruit juice. Many do not know that fruit juice beverages contain high amount of added sugars. These added sugars consist of high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, and even raw sugars.                                                                                                                   
  
                                  
  
        Even many of the trusted brands that labeled "100% Juice" can be just as bad as soft drinks.One study shows that on average, fruit juices have “fructose concentration of about 45.5 grams per liter, only a bit less than the average of 50 grams per liter for sodas (Barclay).” It is important to realize that added sugar food or drinks can also cause unnecessary weight gaining. 
        Lack of vegetables and fruits, while consuming large amounts of meats and carbohydrates can also result in children gaining an excess amount of weight. Meats are high in energy and fat content that are associated with higher risk of obesity. Although meat consumptions do not have to be eliminated completely, they should be combined with the correlated amount of vegetables and fruits to compensate for other nutrients and dietary fibers. 
  

  

• Exercise: Eating healthy alone is not enough to control weight gaining. Regular exercises are also needed to burn off the excess calories from food intake. Due to the rapid change in education and technology, children are less likely to participate in physical activities, especially the ones in outdoors. Although many people and children do understand the benefits of physical activities and how they contribute to weight maintaining, many of them still choose to be inactive. From The Physical Activity Council, the data has reported that about 38.7% of children are not up to healthy activity standards. 
  
                                                           
        Research has found that it is possible that the lack of physical activity contributes more to weight gaining than does improper diet for children. Inactivity in physical exercises is a very critical factor in weight gaining, lack of physical activities can result in excess calories or fat not being able to burning off. More importantly, lack of physical activities from early childhood is more likely to lead to lack physical activities in adulthood, thereby carrying obesity through their entire life.  

References:

1. Fruit Juice Vs. Soda?
2. NCMI
3. PHIT America
4. Obesity Prevention Source

A Hidden Epidemic

  

The Issue              

When someone say an "epidemic" you may think of a disease like the Black Death, malaria, or even AIDS. Well, there is an epidemic that is so hidden and subtle that not many are aware of and it concerns your children very much... indeed, it is childhood obesity. 

Here are some simple statistics:

• In 1984, there were 7% of children aged 6-11 and 5% of children aged 12-19 who were obese.
• In  2012, the percentage grew to 12% of aged 6-11 and 21% of aged 12-19. That is 31.7% of children and teen that are obesed.
• The percentage is still continuing to grow as you read this blog.
• Childhood obesity rate has tripled for the past three decades.
• There are now more than one-third of children and adolescents who are overweight.

     Obesity is not just an adult issue, children are now part of this epidemic!

Why is it hidden?  

     Although childhood obesity seems like a common issue among our society today, it is not seen as a pressing issue for most parents. Many parents often perceive their children's weight as normal or simply regard them as baby fat, which are ought to wear off as children get older. A study shows that 40% of parents are unconcerned about the weight of their obese children, and similarly about 80% of parents are unconcerned about the weight of their overweight children. 
     Even when parents do know about the weight issue in their children, they are not likely to talk to others about it because of the fear of fat-shaming, and the acquired guilty feelings of being "fat".  The unawareness and the inability to talk about it cause this epidemic of childhood obesity affecting more and more children.                                                           
                                                             

Health Issues

Now onto why childhood obesity is such a bad thing...

     

Obesity in children can cause many health issues such as:

1. Type 2 diabetes
2. High blood pressure
3. Sleep Apnea
4. Chronic heart disease
5. Asthma
6. Kidney problems
7. Liver problems
   and many more...

     Unfortunately, we live in a world where people do judge others by their appearance, children who appear to be overweight might be made fun of, discriminated, stigmatized by other kids. So not only will your overweight children suffer all those health issues listed above, they may also potentially suffer:

1. Depression
2. Eating disorders
3. Behavior and learning problems
4. Poor body images
5. Low self-esteem
   and again many more...

     So now you may see why childhood obesity is considered to be an epidemic. Even more so why this can be so problematic to your children! It is parent's responsibility for your children and yourselves to be aware of this issue as a first step to prevent and control your children's weight!






References:

1. CDC. Center of Disease and Control Prevention.
2. Obeisity Society
3. Science Direct
4. Parental Concerns on Childhood obesity