It wasn’t long ago that, by and large, children got plenty of physical activity and ate a reasonably healthy diet. But these were the days before Xbox and PlayStation, nacho cheese-flavored snack chips and the ubiquity of Big Macs.
“Today, the rate of children encountering obesity is surging — and with it, the complications that can be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle,” said Linda McCormick, MD, FAAP, with Carousel Pediatrics.
According to the American Heart Association, the prevalence of childhood obesity in the United States tripled between 1980 and 2000. Today, about 16 percent of children ages 6 to 19 are obese. And according to a study reported in the New England Journal of Medicine, a higher BMI during childhood is associated with an increased risk of heart disease in adulthood. For example, boys who were overweight by 25 pounds at age 13 had a 33 percent higher risk of heart disease in adulthood than those at a normal weight at that age.
“In addition, obese adolescents are more likely to have a condition called prediabetes, in which high blood glucose levels indicate an increased risk for developing diabetes,” said Dr. McCormick. “Obese adolescents also experience higher rates of sleep apnea, high blood pressure and even elevated cholesterol, all of which increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.”
In fact, in a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, 70 percent of obese youth had at least one risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease.
Worse, children who experience obesity in childhood or adolescence are much more likely to experience obesity as an adult, opening themselves to an increased risk for other health problems, such as stroke, orthopedic issues and more.
“To determine if a child is overweight, we typically use body mass index, or BMI, which is a calculation of weight in relation to height,” said Dr. McCormick. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines a child as obese if his or her BMI is at or above the 95th percentile for his or her age. The good news about childhood obesity is that we know what causes it and how to help prevent or reverse it.”
Here are some ways that parents and other caregivers can help their children maintain a healthy weight and perhaps avoid future heart disease:
- Limit “screen time” — TV, video game and computers — to less than two hours a day.
- Encourage regular physical activity. (Remember, “Go for 30!”)
- Don’t use food as a reward.
- Eat dinner together.
- Teach children healthy eating habits.
- Give them mostly water and low-fat milk to drink.
According to Dr. McCormick, kids model a lot of their behaviors on what they observe their parents doing. So making sure you get adequate physical activity and eat a healthy diet will help you as a role model, too.
Also, speak with your pediatrician or family primary care provider about ways to keep your child at a healthy weight. You can find more advice on helping kids lead healthy lifestyles online at www.GetHealthyLiveWell.org.
Dr. McCormick is a board-certified pediatrician with Carousel Pediatrics, part of Tanner Medical Group. More information about the practice is available online at www.CarouselPediatrics.org.