Childhood obesity is a serious public health epidemic.
During the past several decades, obesity rates have soared among all age groups, increasing 400% among children ages 6–11 since the 1970s.1 Today, nearly one-third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese—that’s more than 23 million kids and teenagers!
Preventing obesity during childhood is absolutely critical because habits learned in childhood are carried into adulthood. Research shows that obese adolescents have up to an 80% chance of becoming obese adults.2 This is particularly alarming given the knowledge that being overweight to obese increases one’s risk for many diseases,including cardiovascular disease, cancer, hypertension, and diabetes—all of which are causes of premature death.
If these trends are not reversed soon, we will be in danger of raising the first generation of American children who will have more health challenges AND die younger than the generation before them.
Parents play an essential role in fostering healthful eating habits and physical-activity routines among children and adolescents. In many ways, parents shape their children’s dietary practices, physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and, ultimately, their weight. A parent’s knowledge and understanding of nutrition; influence over food selection, meal
structure, and eating patterns; and control over time spent watching TV, playing video games, or sitting at the computer all influence a child’s development of lifelong habits that contribute to either a healthy weight or to overweight and obesity.
Did You Know?
- Children eat nearly twice as many calories (770) at restaurants as they do during a meal at home (420).
- According to a national study of 92% of elementary schools do not provide daily physical education classes for all students throughout the entire school year.
- The typical American Child spends about 44.5 hours per week using media outside of school.
- At least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity on most days of the week is the recommended minimum. However, nearly 23 percent of children and nearly 40 percent of adults get no free-time physical activity at all.
- Studies have shown that betweeen that between 1977 and 1996, portion sizes and corresponding calories grew significantly. One study of portion sizes for typical items showed that:
- Salty snacks increased from 132 calories to 225 calories.
- Soft drinks increased from 144 calories to 193 calories.
- French fries increased from 188 calories to 256 calories.
- Hamburgers increased from 389 calories to 486 calories.
Reference: All information taken from Superwell Superkids, full article is superwell_superkids
A quick and easy way to give our children a meal from home in under 2 minutes is a meal shake (not a diet one either! Click HERE). Add a fruit and/or vegetable salad and you can feel good about both taking the time NOT to cook and what you offered your children as an option. I know as Mom & Dad it can be exhausting to prepare 3 meals a day for your children, but even if we excuse ourselves from cooking, we have no excuse for the weight epidemic our children are facing.
Are you on a mission to help childhood obesity? Join our team!
