Preventing
Obesity
Obesity
is a chronic disease affecting increasing numbers
of children and adolescents as well as adults.
Obesity rates among children in the US have doubled
since 1980 and have tripled for adolescents. Fifteen
percent of children aged six to 19 are considered
overweight compared to over 60 percent of adults
who are considered overweight or obese.
Earlier
onset of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease,
and obesity-related depression in children and
adolescents is being seen by healthcare professionals.
The longer a person is obese, the more significant
obesity-related risk factors become. Given the
chronic diseases and conditions associated with
obesity and the fact that obesity is difficult
to treat, prevention is extremely important.
A primary
reason that prevention of obesity is so vital
in children is because the likelihood of childhood
obesity persisting into adulthood is thought to
increase from about 20 percent at four years of
age to 80 percent by adolescence.
Breastfed
babies are 15 percent to 25 percent less likely
to become overweight, and those who are breastfed
for six months or longer are 20 percent to 40
percent less likely to become overweight. Therefore,
the longer babies are breastfed, the less likely
they are to become overweight as they grow older.
Young
people generally become overweight or obese because
they do not get enough physical activity in combination
with poor eating habits. Genetics and lifestyle
also contribute to a child's weight status.
Recommendations
for prevention of overweight and obesity during
childhood and adolescence include:
- Gradually work to change
family eating habits and activity levels rather
than focusing on a child's weight.
- Be a role model. Parents
who eat healthy foods and participate in physical
activity set an example so that a child is more
likely to do the same.
- Encourage physical
activity. Children should have 60 minutes of
moderate physical activity most days of the
week. More than 60 minutes of activity may promote
weight loss and subsequent maintenance.
- Reduce "screen"
time in front of the television and computer
to less than two hours daily.
- Encourage children
to eat when hungry and to eat slowly.
- Avoid using food as
a reward or withholding food as a punishment.
- Keep the refrigerator
stocked with fat-free or low-fat milk, fresh
fruit, and vegetables instead of soft drinks
and snacks high in sugar and fat.
- Serve at least five
servings of fruits and vegetables daily.
- Encourage children
to drink water rather than beverages with added
sugar, such as soft drinks, sports drinks, and
fruit juice drinks.
Many
of the strategies that produce successful weight
loss and maintenance help prevent obesity. Improving
eating habits and increasing physical activity
play a vital role in preventing obesity. Recommendations
for adults include:
- Eat five to nine servings
of fruits and vegetables daily. A vegetable
serving is one cup of raw vegetables or one-half
cup of cooked vegetables or vegetable juice.
A fruit serving is one piece of small to medium
fresh fruit, one-half cup of canned or fresh
fruit or fruit juice, or one-fourth cup of dried
fruit.
- Choose whole grain
foods such as brown rice and whole wheat bread.
Avoid highly processed foods made with refined
white sugar, flour, and saturated fat.
- Weigh and measure food
in order to be able to gain an understanding
of portion sizes. For example, a 3-ounce serving
of meat is the size of a deck of cards. Avoid
supersized menu items.
- Balance the food "checkbook."
Taking in more calories than are expended for
energy will result in weight gain. Regularly
monitor weight.
- Avoid foods that are
high in "energy density," or that
have a lot of calories in a small amount of
food. For example, a large cheeseburger with
a large order of fries may have almost 1,000
calories and 30 or more grams of fat. By ordering
a grilled chicken sandwich or a plain hamburger
and a small salad with low-fat dressing, you
can avoid hundreds of calories and eliminate
much of the fat intake. For dessert, have fruit
or a piece of angel food cake rather than the
"death by chocolate" special or three
pieces of home-made pie.
- Remember that much
may be achieved with proper choices in serving
sizes.
- Accumulate at least
30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity activity
on most, or preferably all, days of the week.
Examples of moderate intensity exercise are
walking a 15-minute mile, or weeding and hoeing
a garden.
- Look for opportunities
during the day to perform even ten or 15 minutes
of some type of activity, such as walking around
the block or up and down a few flights of stairs.
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Resources of Cardiovascular Disease
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