Guest Post by Gary Kohler from LifeCover
Six childhood obesity facts that every parent should know before they simply call it “baby fat.”
Fact #1: It’s on the Rise
Parents have a lot of things to worry about when it comes to their children – and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, yet another worrisome issue is starting to develop in America. Childhood obesity is on the rise, says the CDC in a 2008 study. In the 2007-2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the CDC claimed that around seventeen percent of children from the ages of two to nineteen are considered obese. Alarmingly, these numbers are nearly triple the rate of childhood obesity from a generation ago.
Fact #2: It’s Hard to Define
Childhood obesity means pretty much what it sounds like – an obese child. Obesity is usually defined as a condition in which there is so much excess body fat that the health of the person is compromised. There is no universal number that can define obesity. Because every person is built differently, a weight that would be considered obese for a woman who is five feet tall may be considered normal for a man who is six foot five. This is especially true for children – a three year old and a ten year old have radically different average weights.
Fact #3: It’s Easy to Diagnose
To determine childhood obesity, the CDC recommends using the body mass index for children. The BMI has tables where you can look up the recommended weight for a child based on their age, height and sex. With this method, obesity is defined as a BMI greater than the 95th percentile.
Fact #4: It has Multiple Effects
Obese children may experience emotional or psychological problems due to bullying, teasing or low body image. There is a fear that obese children can go the other direction, becoming bulimic or anorexic in an unhealthy attempt to combat their weight. Obesity can cause serious health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, sleep problems and heart disease. Childhood obesity has also been linked to increased likelihood of being obese in adulthood and increased mortality rates in adulthood.
Fact #5: It has Multiple Causes
Childhood obesity can be caused by a variety of factors that may act alone or in combination. Diet is the most prominent factor, with more children than ever indulging in calorie rich drinks and food laced with sugar and carbohydrates and eating fast food. Physical inactivity is another factor. The risk of obesity increases for children who are not regularly engaged in physical activity, preferring to spend their time in front of a television or computer. Scientists also believe that genetics play a role in childhood obesity as well. Some kids are cursed with a slower metabolism and large appetite.
Fact #6: It can Effect your Wallet
An unexpected effect of childhood obesity is a financial one. Because childhood obesity can increase the risk of a person developing other health problems as an adult, many life insurance companies take this into consideration when calculating premiums, resulting in higher fees. In the past, underwriters wouldn’t bother to look too deeply into the background of a healthy person under the age of forty. But with so many formerly obese people developing serious problems later on in life, life insurance companies have changed their rules.