Childhood Obesity Prevention

Childhood obesity

Childhood obesity is a major public health crisis, it increases the risk of premature illness and death later in life.[1]

When your kid is considered overweight or obese.
Overweight is defined as a BMI at or above the 85th percentile and below the 95th percentile, Obesity is defined as a BMI at or above the 95th percentile for children and teens of the same age and sex.

Today, about one in three American kids and teens is overweight or obese.
The prevalence of obesity among U.S. youth was 18.5% in 2015–2016
- - - 13.9% of children between 2-5 years are obese
    - 18.4% of children between 6–11 years are obese
    - 20.6% of adolescents are obese.
- Rates of overweight and obesity have been steadily increasing among Arab Americans, a rapidly growing segment of the U.S. population. Previous research from 1988 showed that about 28% of fifth grade Arab American youths in the state of Michigan were overweight and about 17% were obese. [4] How these estimates have changed over the last 3 decades is unknown.

Unhealthy diet: More sugar drink, fast food, less fruit and vegetable intake
Increased television viewing time: the more watching TV the higher the BMI
Low physical activity life style
Parental obesity increases the chance of having an obese kid. If one parent is obese the kid has 40% risk of developing obesity this risk increases to 80% if the two parents are obese and decreases to 10% if none of the parents are obese.

Obese children and adolescents have higher risk of developing:

Hypertension
High cholesterol level
Asthma
Type II diabetes
Arthritis
Besides many psycho-social problems like depression, social discrimination, and low self-esteem.

Ogden, C.L., et al., Prevalence of Obesity Among Adults and Youth: United States, 2011-2014. NCHS Data Brief, 2015(219): p. 1-8.