Childhood Obesity, Causes of Child Obesity, Dangers of Childhood Obesity
Even though my site does not focus on childhood obesity, or obesity in teenagers, many of my readers have children, and have asked me on many occasions to cover this very important topic. In this article I will do my best to give some answers and possible solutions so that if your child or someone else's child has problems with unwanted body fat -- you can take these simple steps and help them to reach and then maintain their ideal weight for life!
The information in this article will shed some light on the causes of child obesity and explain the steps that you can take to prevent it! By providing you with this information, I really hope that in some way -- it will help your children live long, healthy and productive lives! Obesity can have a profound effect on your child's life. It can increase the risks of numerous health problems, and it can also create emotional and social problems for your child. Childhood obesity can lead to obesity in adulthood, and can increase the risk of serious health problems such as heart disease and stroke. Obesity means an excess amount of body fat. No general agreement exists on the definition of obesity in children as it does in adults. Most professionals use published guidelines based on the body mass index, or a modified BMI for age, to measure obesity in children. Others define childhood obesity as body weight at least 20% higher than a healthy weight for a child of that height, or a body fat percentage above 25% in boys or above 32% in girls. Although rare in the past, obesity is now among the most widespread medical problems affecting children and adolescents living in the United States and other developed countries. According to the American Obesity Association, about 15% of adolescents (aged 12-19 years)and children (aged 6-11 years) are currently obese. These numbers are expected to continue to increase. CAUSES OF CHILD OBESITY There are many causes of obesity in children and adolescents, which include genetic factors, dietary habits, socio-economic status, and physical inactivity. Genetics alone do not cause obesity in children. Consuming too many calories from fast food, processed snack foods, and sugary drinks is also one of the major causes of children and adolescents becoming extremely overweight. Excess body fat is always a result of consuming more calories that the organism can burn during the day. Since most children and adolescents do not know that much about calories, many of them simply eat more food than their bodies can digest, process and utilize during the day. Some other patterns associated with obesity are eating when not hungry, especially while watching television, sitting behind a computer, playing video games or doing homework. Inactivity is also one of the major causes of obesity in children and adolescents. Popularity of television, computers and video games translates into an increasingly sedentary lifestyle for many children and adolescents in the United States. Physical activity is one of the best ways to burn off the excess calories that are consumed on a daily basis from food and beverages. This can be simple things like walking around the block or running around with friends in the park or in the backyard. Certain medical conditions can cause obesity, but these are very rare. They include hormone or other chemical imbalances and inherited disorders of metabolism. Some medications also can cause weight gain by altering how the body processes food or stores fat. This is why it is always important to consult with your physician and read the labels before giving your children any kind of medication.
There are many dangers of childhood obesity. The extra body weight puts them at an increased risk for type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and other health problems. Excess fat in the liver fat cells could lead to hepatitis, cirrhosis or liver failure. Excess body weight in children and adolescents can also dramatically increases their risk of developing heart disease in adulthood. According to provocative research done at Harvard Medical School, obesity in children and adolescents could decrease life expectancy by two to five years. Dangers of obesity in children can also increase the risk of type 2 diabetes -- not only in adulthood -- but also in childhood, or when they become adolescents, and can be one of the major causes of apnea. Apnea is a condition when breathing is interrupted repeatedly, disrupting the quality of sleep and leading to daytime fatigue. Being extremely overweight during childhood can also increase the risk of heart disease and stroke in adulthood, and is one of the major causes of the current epidemic of heart disease. These are only a few of the dangers of childhood obesity, and why you must do everything possible to prevent this from happening with your kids!
Parents should not make changes to a child's diet based solely on perceptions of them being overweight. Since children grow in unpredictable spurts assessing obesity in children should be done by a health professional. Using a diet is not a good weight loss approach for most young children, since their bodies are growing and developing. Overweight children should never be put on a low calorie diet unless a physician supervises one for medical reasons. A restrictive diet may not supply the energy and nutrients needed for normal growth and development. For most children and adolescents, the focus should be on maintaining their current weight, while they grow normally in height. The most important strategies for preventing obesity are healthy eating habits, regular physical activity, and reduced sedentary activity. These preventative strategies are part of a healthy lifestyle and should be developed as early in childhood as possible. Parents can help prevent their children from becoming extremely overweight by providing healthy meals and snacks, daily physical activity, and nutrition education. Increased physical activity reduces health risks and helps with weight management. Nutrition education helps young children develop an awareness of good nutrition and healthy eating habits for a lifetime. Even though my weight loss system has not been designed for helping children to lose unwanted body fat -- it can still help you to win the battle against childhood obesity. Here is why: The Secret To Permanent Fat Loss is a fat loss strategy that is focused on burning off unwanted body fat using motivation, proper nutrition and exercise. Using my healthy weight loss approach -- you will be able to help your child to reach their ideal body weight and then teach him or her to maintain it for life! What can be more important than this?
The Ultimate Fat Loss System In my 210 page book The Secret To Permanent Fat Loss you will discover a simple, easy to follow "step-by-step" weight loss approach for burning off unwanted body fat using proper nutrition and simple exercises. If you want to know exactly how to help someone to create irreversible, long-term weight loss success in the fastest time that is possible -- this is the ultimate fat loss system that you will find -- for making this very important health goal a complete reality!
from the childhood obesity page 
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