There's more to obesity than meets the eye. If it
were just a matter of "eat less, exercise more," no
one in America would have a weight problem, right?
Former U.S. Surgen General David Satcher tells us,
however, that this generation of children is "the
most overweight, obese generation of children in
our history." Exactly whose responsibility is that?
And is there a cure?
Childhood Obesity
by Rae Pica
Economist John Kenneth Galbraith has said that more
people die in this country of too much food than of
too little. It's an appalling notion — but an
accurate one. As of 1999 more than 60 percent of
American adults were overweight or obese — and
obesity among children was increasing faster than
among adults. In 2000, 22 percent of U.S. preschoolers
were overweight and 10 percent clinically obese.
Nevertheless, there are many who consider obesity an
individual responsibility. Writing in the Los Angeles
Times in December 2001, Brian Doherty ridiculed former
surgeon general David Satcher’s "fat war." He called
on taxpayer-funded agencies to think twice about
spending Americans' money to lecture us on what he
considers a matter of private health. He believes
obesity is a condition "caused by freely chosen
behavior" and maintains people can simply cure
themselves of obesity by eating less and exercising
more.
Fair enough. Everyone’s entitled to an opinion. But
you have to wonder if Mr. Doherty has done any
research on this issue — or if he’s simply speaking
as someone who personally has a handle on his own
"love handles." If it's the latter, he’s to be
congratulated for his self-discipline — but rebuked
for not digging a little deeper as a journalist.
After all, if the majority of people in this country
have a weight problem, we need to look into the
reasons why. If there are now nearly twice as many
overweight children and almost three times as many
overweight adolescents as there were in 1980 — and it
previously took 30 years for the number of overweight
American children to double — we have to admit that
something, somewhere, is very wrong.
Certainly, we all wish the problem would just
disappear — that it wouldn't be our problem at all.
Who at one time or another hasn't wished for a simple
solution to the predicaments that plague us? In this
case, if everyone just took personal responsibility
for her or his own weight gain, we wouldn’t have to
spend $100 billion dealing with obesity. And there's
no doubt that personal responsibility is a good thing.
But David Satcher tells us this is "the most
overweight, obese generation of children in our
history." Exactly whose responsibility is that?
Let’s think about it.
Without even taking into consideration the $100,000
paid to schools by soft drink companies to fill our
children’s bodies with empty calories, there's still
the issue of recess and physical education
disappearing from the schools. Who's making the
decisions to eliminate all physical activity from
the school day (where children spend most of their
waking hours) despite mounting evidence that children
need to move — for the health of both their bodies
and their minds?
Not the children. Given a choice, they'd happily
choose to mix some movement into the day.
There's also the matter of loading children’s days
with activities that preclude "exercising more."
Given a choice — and the opportunity — children might
well opt to spend more of their time running, jumping,
and breathing hard. But they’re not being allowed to
"choose freely." Rather, the adults are choosing for
them — the very adults who are supposed to know what's
best for them and who have been entrusted with their
care and protection.
Are the children responsible for the fact that 32
percent of two– to seven-year-olds — and 65 percent
of eight – to eighteen-year-olds — have TVs in their
bedrooms? Is it their fault they're not born with
self-limiting mechanisms — and that too often parents
have forgotten how to say no?
If young children were able to set their own limits
with regard to television viewing and computer and
video use, they'd need parents only to provide food,
clothing, and shelter.
The problem is, once a child is obese because of
these adult-made decisions, the odds are pretty much
stacked against him. Not only are behavior patterns,
like eating and physical activity habits, established
in childhood (educational psychologist Benjamin Bloom
contended that 90 percent of an individual's habits
and traits are set by age twelve), but long-term
studies have also shown that excess body fat tends
to persist throughout childhood and into adulthood.
And it's no wonder. Not only will "supersized"
servings confront her at every turn, but also
physical activity will become an even smaller part
of the overweight child's life as she gets older.
This is true of children in general but is even
more probable for the overweight child.
Many of us have nightmarish recollections of trying
to climb the rope, or being forced to run laps until
overcome with nausea, during "gym class." Surely any
kind of physical activity would feel equally
nightmarish to an overweight child.
Even if they're inclined to move, overweight children
are often physically incompetent. According to an
article at the website of the International Play
Equipment Manufacturers Association (IPEMA), during
one study approximately 120 children ages three to
ten were observed traversing an overhead ladder. The
only children unable to cross the ladder successfully
were obese.
In another study it was determined that even
childrens' walking patterns were affected by
overweight, with obese children walking slower,
asymmetrically, flat-footed, and with toes turned
out. Over time these poor walking habits can result
in structural deformities and damage to body tissue.
And, of course, if even walking is a challenge,
anything beyond that could be perceived as
overwhelming.
Is it any surprise, then, that 40 percent of obese
children and 70 percent of obese adolescents become
obese adults? Indeed, by the time obese children are
six years old, their chances of becoming obese adults
are over 50 percent.
It’s a vicious-circle kind of problem. Lack of
physical activity is a primary cause of excessive
fat accumulation in children. Then, once overweight,
children have a tendency to become even less
physically active — a tendency that only increases
in adolescence.
Sure, Richard Simmons started out as a "fat kid" and
managed to overcome the odds, but he's devoted his
entire life to it! Not many individuals are likely to
hand over the better part of their lives to rid
themselves of excessive fat accumulation acquired
before they were even old enough to understand the
problem.
But something must be done to ensure physical
activity is a part of every child’s life. Said Dr.
Samuel Abate, at a childhood obesity conference
sponsored by the North Dakota Department of Health:
"The consequences of denying the body exercise are
just as severe as depriving it of food, water, or
oxygen; it just takes longer to see the consequences."
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Rae Pica is a children’s physical activity specialist
and the author of Your Active Child: How to Boost
Physical, Emotional, and Cognitive Development
through Age-Appropriate Activity (McGraw-Hill, 2003).
Rae speaks to parent and education groups throughout
North America. You can visit her and read more
articles at her website:
www.movingandlearning.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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