Childhood Obesity Causes Premature Death

Fat babies are more likely to become obese children who are more likely to become obese adults.

Childhood obesity represents a health crisis for not just young Latinos, but all American children. More than 38% of Latino youth ages 2 to 19 are overweight or obese — a higher percentage than among African-American or white youths. And many are likely to develop serious, chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and high blood cholesterol as adults and children. Disturbingly, the incidence of chronic diseases in obese children has more than doubled in the last 20 years.

Diseases such as diabetes which were never before seen in children are now common. Obese children are more than twice as likely to die early from natural causes.

It is very important for all parents to understand that obesity is a risk to their children’s health when they are children and a risk to their health when they become adults. Astonishingly, this is the first generation of children who will not live as long as their parents.

An analysis in 2005 found that children today may lead shorter lives by two to five years than their parents because of obesity. Children who were the heaviest — the top fourth — were more than twice as likely to die early from natural causes, such as alcoholic liver disease, cardiovascular disease, infections, cancer and diabetes, as children whose weight put them in the lowest quarter of the population.

Recognizing the problem is a start, but now parents must act and do something about it — including making sure your children are eating healthy foods in moderation and less of the unhealthy foods. And be sure your children are involved in some kind of physical activity, like playing outside, for at least an hour a day.

Here are some ideas for living a healthy life from the American Academy of Pediatrics:

• 5 – Eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables every day.
• 2 – Limit screen time (for example, TV, video games, computer) to 2 hours or less per day.
• 1 – Get 1 hour or more of physical activity every day.
• 0 – Drink fewer sugar-sweetened drinks. Try water and low-fat milk instead.

As a parent, advocate for change. Much of the obesity problem resides on where you live and the conditions around which you live. If you don’t have access to affordable healthy foods, it’s hard to eat healthy. If you live in a high crime area it’s hard for your children to safely go outside to play.

We must advocate in the community for healthier foods in the schools, more play time, and supermarkets that sell fresh fruits and vegetables. Many states are changing the menus in school cafeterias and legislating for more physical activities for students. There have also been several successful initiatives across the country to bring supermarkets to disadvantaged communities.

Jeff Kreisberg is a patient advocate, educator, scientist author of the book “Taking Control of Your Healthcare,” and, until his retirement, a professor at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas. Jeff also blogs regularly on health issues on his website, Taking Control of Your Healthcare. Follow him on Twitter: @kreisberg.

References:

http://www.rwjf.org/childhoodobesity/product.jsp?id=62729

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-02-17-chronic17_st_N.htm

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/weightloss/2010-02-11-obesekidsdieearlier11_ST_N.htm

http://www.thefoodtrust.org/php/programs/fffi.php