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The Problem

Childhood Obesity In The United States

Obesity is a serious and frightening disease, and one in three children in the United States is obese or overweight. Today’s children are expected to be the first generation of kids in American history to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents, unless the childhood obesity epidemic is reversed. Children who are overweight and obese are at greater risk for health problems once seen only in adults.
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  • Heart disease
  • High cholesterol and high blood pressure
  • Type 2 Diabetes
  • Asthma
  • Stroke
  • Bone & joint problems
  • Social & psychological problems
  • Low self esteem, depression and bullying
  • Behavior and learning problems

How Childhood Obesity Became An Epidemic

The dramatic increase in childhood obesity and its related diseases was preventable, as it was caused by changes in the type and quantity of food and drink that our children consume and the decline in their daily level of activity in school and at home. The good news is that the childhood obesity trend is reversible, as lifestyle habits can be improved.

Unhealthy Diet

American children eat a diet comprised of largely of “empty calories” in the form of high-sugar, high fat, overly processed food and drink products, and don’t eat enough nutrient-filled, whole foods to fuel their bodies and their health.

  • Students consume almost 400 billion calories from junk food sold at school each year.
  • The average child consumes at least 20 ounces of soda each day.
  • The average child under age 12 consumes 49 pounds of sugar per year.
  • 40% of daily calories for 2 – 18 year olds come from sugars and solid fats.
  • Most U.S. youth do not meet the daily minimum recommended amounts of fruits, vegetables or whole grains.

Declining Activity Levels

How are children spend their time, both in and out of school, impacts their health and weight. Unfortunately, most children spend their spare time involved in sedentary activities involving a screen, and children aren’t engaged in regular sports or other unstructured physical activity like running, jumping, walking, biking, skating or dancing.

  • Children who have the least amount of vigorous physical activity OR view the most television tend to be the most overweight.
  • Today’s youth are considered the most inactive generation in history.
  • Most children spend about 5 – 7 hours a day of screen time.
  • 2 in 3 kids do NOT get the recommended amount of daily physical activity

The Financial Toll of Obesity

In addition to the decline of American’s health, obesity is also hitting the U.S. economy in the wallet. The United States annual health care costs for obesity related illness are $190.2 billion – nearly 21% of medical spending. Childhood obesity alone is responsible for $14 billion in direct medical costs.

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Facts About Obesity

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What Does it Mean To Be Obese or Overweight?
Obese means that a child is severely overweight with a body mass index (BMI) that is equal to or greater than the 95th percentile.

Overweight means that a child is above a weight that is considered normal and healthy with a BMI between the 85th and 94th percentile.

What are the stats on childhood obesity?
  • 1 in 3 kids, or 23 MILLION, are obese or overweight, TRIPLE the amount of 30 years ago!
  • 43% of public elementary school students are obese or overweight.
  • More than 39% of Hispanic and black youth are overweight or obese compared to 28% of white youth
  • 1/3 of all boys and 2/5 of all girls born in 2000 or after will suffer from type 2 diabetes at some point in their lives.
  • About 85% of obese children continue to be classified as obese for the rest of their lives.
  • Experts warn that excess weight could reduce average life expectancy by five years or more over the next several decades.
  • The health risks associated with childhood obesity are increased in minority and low-income populations.
How can I make better food choices?

You can make better food choices by adding in real, nutrient dense food and cutting back on processed foods and empty calories.

Nutrient Dense Food - Nutrient-dense foods have a lot more nutrients, vitamins and minerals in relation to their calories. These nutrients are what fuel our bodies and sustain and improve our health. Some examples are: fruits and vegetables, lean meats and many whole grains.

Processed Food - Food processing is any deliberate change in a food that happens before it’s available for us to eat. Processed foods are usually packaged in boxes, cans or bags and often contain additives, artificial flavorings and colorings and other chemical ingredients. The longer the ingredient list and the more ingredients that you don’t recognize, the more processed a food is likely to be. Ex., chicken nuggets, white rice, soda, sports drinks, white bread, potato chips, deli meats, sugary cereals, fast-food.

Empty Calorie - Foods with empty calories have lots of calories but very few nutrients like vitamins and minerals. "Convenience foods," like packaged snacks, chips, sodas, cookies, pastries, donuts, energy/sports drinks, fruit juices, sausage, hot dogs, ribs and bacon are common sources of empty calories.

What are lifestyle habits?
When it comes to health and weight, lifestyle habits include, what you eat and drink, how much you eat and drink, your daily activity level, and how you use your “downtime.”

To improve you lifestyle habits, start by adding in real, healthy foods and cutting back on processed foods. You should also increase your physical activity level each day and reduce sedentary behaviors, like screen time.

What is moderate to vigorous activity?
Moderate activity is when you're working hard enough to noticeably raise your heart rate and break into a sweat, and you are able to talk but unable to sing.

Vigorous activity is where you're breathing rapidly and your heart rate has increased significantly. Talking is difficult if you are working at this level.

It is recommended that children get at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous active each day.

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