Myth:The fat kids are the ones who are practicing unhealthy lifestyles.
Reality: Most of our children have unhealthy lifestyles! Overweight children are the ones who show signs of an unhealthy way of life early on. With poor diets and sedentary behaviors, healthy problems will eventually occur in the rest.
Today, children all over the country are faced with more decisions than ever before about nutrition.
Should they walk down to the corner and pick up some McDonald’s, or travel the distance to the nearest grocery store to pick up the vegetables and fruits unavailable at the corner stores?
Should they stay inside with siblings and friends after school to compete in the most up-to-date PlayStation2 John Madden Football game, or head outside to get the 60 minutes of recommended activity for the day?
Often times the most healthful choices are not the easiest, most culturally acceptable, and may not even be the safest choices. The barriers children experience when dealing with diet are mounting. Consequently, so are the consequences for an unhealthy lifestyle.
Facts:
Today, one third of a child’s daily calories come from snacking on junk food.
One out of four kids are clinically obese, a number that has doubled from twenty years ago.
Obese children have shown an alarming increase in the incidence of Type 2 diabetes, also known as adult-onset diabetes.
It is estimated that when kids graduate from high school, they will have spent more time in front of the TV than in class.
Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 1999), indicate that approximately 25% of American adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 can be described as overweight, or at risk of overweight, an increase of nearly 20 percent since NHANES III (1988-1994).
Studies show that 20 to 40 percent of American children are physically unfit.
The Hunger/Obesity Paradox in America A lack of money contributes to both hunger and obesity
Lower-income families have to rely on cheaper, high calorie foods to feed their families in order to save money for utilities, rent, etc.
Families try to maximize their caloric intake for less money
The lack of resources to buy food can result in weight gain the following ways:
The need to maximize caloric intake
The trade-off between quality and quantity
Overeating when food is available
Physiological changes: the body compensates for food shortages by storing more calories as fat
What causes obesity in children?
A lack of physical activity and sedentary behavior
Eating Habits
Socioeconomic status
Environment
Genetics
What can be done? Eat Healthier and Move More!
Countless numbers of resources are available to help everyone get on the right nutritional track. Check out these websites for more information:
The New Food Guide Pyramid! 5 A Day or
Rules to Live By.
Physical Activity
- Children and adolescents should engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day.
Fruits and Veggies
- Everyone should strive to consume at least 5 fruits and vegetables per day
- Select from all 5 subgroups of veggies: Dark green, orange, legumes, starchy vegetables, and others several times per week.
Whole Grains
- Strive for three or more servings of whole grains per day.
- At least half of your daily grains should be whole grains.
Dairy - Children should consume two to three cups of milk/dairy per day.
- Try to stick to low-fat and no fat choices when deciding which calcium rich foods to eat.
Meat and Beans
- Five Ounces of Meat and beans is sufficient for children.
- Meat and poultry choices should be lean or low fat.
- Beans and seeds are good meat alternatives because they supply protein without cholesterol.
Visit to choose the foods and amounts that are right for you! Check out the sample menu to get an idea of good food choices from each group!
Check out some examples of physical activities commonly engaged in and the average amount of calories a 154 pound individual will expend while engaging in each activity for one hour. The expenditure value encompasses both resting and metabolic rate calories and activity expenditure. Some of the activities can constitute as either moderate or vigorous intensity physical activity depending on the rate at which they are carried out.
