Shock Report: 2 out of 5 US Kids Obese!
Posted by loseweight | Tagged as: obesity
A shocking new study released by New York City (NYC) Fitnessgram in an assessment that covered the school year of 2008-2009 has uncovered the sad fact that an unprecedented 40 percent of the 637,000 children attending school from kindergarten up to eighth grade were overweight or even obese.
These kid’s ages ranged from 5 years old up to 14 years old. It proves that weight loss programs are becoming a real necessity in the US. With 2 out of 5 kids falling into the category of obese or overweight, more needs to be done to curb the trend.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. has released data that showcases the national average rate of symptoms of obesity and being overweight, 35.5 percent was children aged 6 to 11 years. However, in the city of New York the childhood obesity rate was quite high, being around 22 percent. This compared with the nationwide average of 19.6 percent.
In less affluent areas of the city, weight related issues tended to be higher. Corona, Queens came out the highest rates of obesity at 51 percent, with Harlem next at 49 percent and Washington Heights showing 47 percent. Children who lived in the more affluent neighborhoods tended to have lower rates of obesity. Hudson River in Manhattan had a 11.7 percent rate of childhood obesity, TriBeCa had 15 percent, while SoHo had 17.7 percent.
Problems associated with weight have been on the gradual increase over the past several years. A number of reports highlight that back in 1980, the national average for childhood obesity stood at just 6.5 percent. This figure had trebled by 2008 to stand at 19.6 percent.
Childhood obesity is linked with numerous social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and low self-esteem. It is also linked with medical issues such as high cholesterol rates, high blood pressure, skeletal and joint problems, asthma, sleep apnea and diabetes mellitus.
More physical activity coupled with healthy eating are the two main components of weight loss programs that should be instigated for overweight and obese children. It is just as important for kids to burn energy by getting lots of physical exertions that occur naturally when they play games, sports and other activities. They also need to eat foods that are more fiber-rich in carbohydrates while cutting down on junk foods and drinking soda.
Its as much about education as merely laying down some rules. If the kids really understood what eating junk and drinking soda was doing to their bodies, they would be less inclined to consume them.
It doesn’t surprise me that 2 out of 5 kids are obese when you see all the crap they eat and sit around all day playing computer games or wedged in front of the TV set. In my day, we used to get outdoors and play with our friends and all that activity naturally kept us thin. Plus we ate home cooked meals that our moms went to the trouble of making for us. None of that fast food junk that lazy moms feed their kids today. Great article.