What is Obesity?
Obesity is the term used for extreme overweight.
A body mass index (BMI) is used to determine if someone is obese, and in children the BMI is plotted on a specific chart to see how it compares to others of the same age and gender. A child above the 95th percentile is considered overweight (obese if the child is extremely overweight).
Causes of Obesity.
- Sedentary lifestyle (lack of exercise).
- Overeating (taking in more calories than using).
- Genes may play a part. Obesity can run in families.
- Poor diets consisting of “junk food.”
Problems with Diabetes.
•Untreated diabetes can have dire consequences. Left untreated diabetes can lead to blindness, leg amputation, kidney disease, heart attack and stroke.
Problems related to Obesity.
Obesity increases one’s risk of developing conditions such as high blood pressure, stroke, gallbladder disease and cancer of the breast, prostate and colon. Obese kids suffer from poor self-esteem, worsened by bullying and teasing. Obesity is associated with breathing problems such as asthma and sleep apnea.
What can we do?
- Parents need to improve their children’s diets.
- Fewer sugary snacks.
- Children need to learn the consequence of poor eating.
- Encourage more physical activity.
- Establish good eating habits.
- Fewer sedentary activities.
- Understand that low fat does not mean low sugar.
- Do not appease children with soda/candy or food. Learn to say no.