Childhood Obesity: An Exploded Epidemic
Mental Health Disorders and the Fellas: A Noiseless Predicament.
July 2, 2019
The Healing Power of Attitude
July 31, 2019
The story of an 8 yrs. old, Nicholas Reeves who battled with obesity and weighed 118 pounds has unfortunately become too familiar in our society. The story highlighted the struggles of the boy (i.e. how the weight impeded his progress) and his family’s cry for help. Such struggles included constant teasing from peers and his inability to enjoy the sport he loved due to his weight. A correlation between his weight and self-esteem was emphasized along with potential health issues he faces now and later. This illustrates the struggles obese and overweight children and their families face globally.
We have become oblivious to the fact that childhood obesity is a public health crisis that is still raving through every corner around the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) indicated that childhood obesity is one of the most serious public health challenges of the 21st century affecting developed and developing countries. If the epidemic continues according to WHO, by 2020, nearly 60 million children will be overweight or obese. If this does not make our hearts race, then I don’t know what will get our attention on this important issue. In most places globally, the problem has escalated more in children than in adults! Just so you know, this is not a scare tactic or an exaggeration but an attempt for us to ‘wake up’ and take action!
Researchers found that from 1999-2016 “obesity among American children is still on the rise, with kids aged 2 to 5 years old seeing the most drastic increase” (Journal Pediatrics). “Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years” (The Advocate).
Dieting and exercising is a million dollar industry that has grabbed the attention of adults around the globe. Don’t get me wrong, I think it is fantastic that we are all eating healthy and incorporating exercise into our daily routines but are we failing our children in the process? Because we are not for the most part bringing them along on this healthy lifestyle journey.
Childhood obesity can be as a result of these underlying factors: Social, health, emotional, psychological, genetics and in some cases, children just eat because of lack of discipline. Childhood obesity is so much more than food, so parents need to understand these factors to help children navigate their ways and prevent future health issues/crisis. For instance, a child might eat a lot to suppress emotional issues, parents of that child might assist by seeking the help of a psychologist and/or provide healthy options for the child to choose from. As a mother, I understand that it is not always easy to make our children eat their fruits and vegetables, I think it is important to be firm and consistent in our approach. My approach has always been providing healthy options, consistency and persistence and it works in my house!
Remember, we parents are responsible for the overall wellbeing of our children such as what they eat, what they wear and how they present themselves in public. Again, one size does not fit all when it comes to parenting, so find what works well for your family and stick with the approach.
It is however important not to shame other mothers because they have obese or overweight children. Our job is to support one another! If you need to speak to a professional on this issue, please contact us for assistance.
Some contributing factors to childhood obesity
- Genetics
- Metabolism—how your body converts food and oxygen into energy it can use
- Short sleep duration
- Eating and physical activity behaviors. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Some tips to improve health/Dealing with childhood obesity
- Be a role model to your child by eating healthy and exercising
- Teach them to make healthy choices
- Promote food portion control
- Display positive and supportive attitude
- Get active as a family
- Be consistent and persistent in your approach
- Have healthy snacks readily available in the house
- Limit screen time to 1-2 hours per day
- Do not use food as a punishment or as a reward (That is, cautiously choose incentives, rewards, and consequences that do not involve food)
5 Comments
Hi Dr. Bidmus,
I enjoyed reading your article on childhood obesity. You are so right. Earlier today, while driving my daughter to her dentist, i discussed with the essence of living a healthy life by eating smart. Unfortunately, the food companies are making matters worse. The junk foods are the ones obviously advertised right in front of our eyes and our children’s eyes as we enter into any food store. The healthy foods are on the sides and given expensive labels. The bottom line is that no food company, or should I say, many food companies do not care about children’s health. They just want to sell their goods and make quick money. As parents, we should be our children’s strongest advocates. Health Education and Health Promotion should not be taken likely. Gone were those days when obesity and diabetes were associated with adults only. Nowadays, childhood obesity is becoming the norm. This is an epidemic that must be halted before it gets out of hand.
Hello Maryam F
Childhood Obesity is a global epidemic and unfortunately it has gotten out of control. You are absolutely right, healthy food such as fruits and vegetables are not easily accessible by average persons because they are expensive. On the other hand, the foods that are ‘killing’ us are easily accessible and are within price range. Parents and care caregivers have lots of work to do in terms of educating our children on making healthy food choices and consistently offering healthy foods at home. When it comes to parenting, one size does not always fit all. Find what works best for your family and be consistent and persistent. Thank you so much for the feedback. Am glad you are conversing with your daughter about this important public health issue.
Hi Dr. Bidmus.
This is a very educating topic. My name is Oluwadara Soyombo, i am a masters student studying MPH human nutrition in the University of Ibadan. As i read through this article, it has been so helpful as i intend to carry out my reseaech project on “childhood obesity in relation to sweet taste perception and dental caries”.
Studies have shown that sweet taste foods such as junks and their dietary intaken has contributed greatly to childhood obesity which is a serious public health issue. And i wish to carry out a research on that so as to enlighten parents and children through health promotion and education on how risky sweet and sugary foods can be harmful to dental structure leading to dental caries.
I will be so glad to have your kind response of this.
Thank you ma
Hi Ms.Soyombo
I am glad you found this article informative! I am especially happy that you are on a journey to obtaining a MPH. Public health is an exciting field that needs upcoming star like you. Unfortunately, childhood obesity is one of the most public health challenges of the 21st century. If effective strategies are not put in place, the trend is likely to continue for centuries to come. Effective public health promotion and education is needed to combat this issue and to reduce the rates of childhood obesity. I think it is great that your research is geared towards educating parents on childhood obesity and the effect of sugary foods on dental structure. Such research/information is especially needed in communities across Nigeria. After your research is completed, dissemination is key i.e. it is important to share results with different public health organizations and communities across Nigeria so that you can achieve your ultimate goal of enlightening parents on this challenging public health issue. I will be more than happy to assist you, if you need help. Thank you so much for the feedback and good luck!