The Impact Of Child Obesity

Child obesity is becoming a major problem in the United States. Children as young as three and four are being diagnosed as excessively overweight, and the number of preschoolers in this category rises every year. Child obesity is defined as a child who has a body mass index that is too high. In boys, the body mass index should be less than twenty-five, and in girls, it should be less than thirty-two. The best way to measure for child obesity is through skin fold measurements. A skin fold measurement involves a caliper that pinches the skin on the upper arm to measure how much is fatty tissue. To ensure accurate readings, this should be done by someone who has been trained on how to use the instrument.

What About Chunky Babies?

Many moms who have chunky babies worry that their little cherubs will grow up to have problems with child obesity. There does not seem to be an indication that being chunky as an infant means the child will continue to be overweight. Many babies who are breast fed become quite chunky before they start crawling. Child obesity around four or five is a better indication of future problems.

What Causes Child Obesity?

Children who take in more calories than they burn through growth and physical activities will store those calories as fat. Children who have a large imbalance in calories taken in versus calories burned will have problems with child obesity. And because children learn their eating behaviors primarily from their parents, those with obese parents often turn into obese children.

Children who spend a lot of time in front of the television will have a greater risk of child obesity than those who go outside to play. This is especially true when they are eating unhealthy food while watching television. Video games are another culprit.

There does seem to be a hereditary cause for child obesity as well. This explains why two kids with identical sedentary lifestyles can have extremely different body mass index measurements. Heredity seems to affect metabolism and the body's tendency to store fat. Those who have hereditary risks for child obesity simply need to be more aware of their caloric intake and level of physical activity.

Preventing Childhood Obesity

If you are a parent, you should make preventing obesity in your child your number one priority, as it leads to life long healthy living. Starting in infancy, children's tastes are being developed. Children who are breastfed have less likelihood of becoming obese. Perhaps this is because they are less likely to be pushed to finish the bottle, and also because breast milk is the perfect balance of fat and calories for the growing infant. As children start solids, they should be encouraged to eat low sugar foods, not the sugary snacks so prevalent today! These steps will help prevent the onset of child obesity, and help parents raise happy, healthy children.

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