Childhood Obesity and Nutrition

Obesity and being overweight in general has become an epidemic in the United States. One of the worst problems with obesity is the increase in childhood obesity. While there are many factors associated with obesity and its rise, the two main factors are both lifestyle choices. Poor eating habits and leading a sedentary lifestyle have had the greatest effect on the rise in obesity. The Clay60 program and the Clay County Public Health Center are dedicated to reducing the number of obese children by increasing the level of activity each child receives each day to the level set by the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC recommends that children get sixty minutes of moderate to vigorous physical exercise each day. While this is the main focus of Clay60, the program also realizes the importance of proper diet as a means of maintaining a healthy weight. With the rise of childhood obesity in Clay County, Missouri, the nutrition guidelines set forth by the government need to be followed in order to prevent the negative effects of being obese.
The United States has seen a huge increase in the past five decades in obesity among all of its citizens. The rate of overweight men and women has doubled from the 1950’s to the 1990’s, while the level of obesity has increased more than threefold in the same time span. When looking at the United States’ children specifically, the rates are astonishing. 9.5% of children under the age of two are obese. That rate rises to 11.9% in the 2-9 year old age group. (Ogden et al, 2009) The rate is even for the children of Missouri. 14% of children are considered obese in Missouri. (The Obesity Epidemic and Missouri Students, 2009) Clay County is where the numbers get scary. Overall, the level of obesity for children is lower in Clay County than the rate for Missouri as a whole. 10.8% of 2-5 year olds and 10.2% of 5-20 year olds have a body mass index in the obese range (Crigler 2003). The level of children who are overweight for the same age ranges are significantly higher. 17.0% of 2-5 year olds and 19.6% of 5-20 year olds are overweight (Crigler, 2003). These are the highest rates for the entire Kansas City area. All of these statistics are the driving force behind the Clay60 program of the Clay County Public Health Center.
The driving factors behind these numbers are the same two things everyone keeps coming back to: diet and exercise. The children of today’s generation are much more sedentary than past generations. Multiple reasons for this have been stated, including video game usage and lack of safety for children to be playing outside. Looking at diet, there are a few driving factors. There has been a huge increase in portion size for foods as well as the amount of fat and sugar in the foods that children are eating.

In order to combat the change in eating habits, The United States Department of Agriculture has set forth guidelines for the recommended daily servings with the food guide pyramid as well as other tips for eating a healthy balanced diet. The general recommendations for kids are for an 1800 calorie diet with a balance of grains, vegetables, fruits, dairy and meat. It recommends 6 ounces of grains, two and half cups of vegetables, one and a half cups of fruits, 3 cups milk or dairy products and 5 ounces of meat and beans (United States Department of Agriculture). One ounce of grains is roughly once slice of bread or half a cup of cooked pasta. One cup of yogurt or one and a half ounces of cheese is equal to a cup of milk. One egg or one tablespoon peanut butter is equal to about an ounce of meat. In addition to these general recommendations, you can go to http://www.mypyramid.gov/ and determine your own specific guidelines for your height, weight, age and gender.
The USDA also lists some general tips in addition to the diet recommendations already listed. When eating grains, try and make at least half of them whole grains. Fruits and vegetables need to be multiple different colors because they have different kinds of nutrients. Try to switch to low fat or fat free milk if you are currently drinking whole milk. Lastly, focus on lean meats such as poultry or lean beef and trim away excess fat before cooking.
Not following these guidelines and helping our children maintain a healthy weight can be very detrimental to their future. For the first time, the life expectancy is going to be lower for this generation of children than for the past generation. This is majorly due to the obesity rate. Obesity is a direct and preventable risk factor for numerous illnesses such as diabetes, many cancers and most importantly, heart disease. With such serious diseases as a possibility for our children, we need to combat childhood obesity now. Everyone should get their Clay60 in everyday!

References
Crigler, J. (2003). METROPOLITAN KANSAS CITY. Kansas City: Prime Health Foundation.

Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Curtin, L. R., Lamb, M. M., & Flegal, K. M. (2009). Prevalence of High Body Mass Index in US Children and Adolescents, 2007- 2008. Journal of the American Medical Association .

Physical Activity for Everyone. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2010, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/guidelines/children.html

The Obesity Epidemic and Missouri Students. (2009). Retrieved September 30, 2010, from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/yrbs/pdf/obesity/mo_obesity_combo.pdf

United States Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2010, from My Pyramid: http://www.mypyramid.gov/mypyramid/results.html?name=undefined&age=12 &gender=male&weight=89&heightfeet=4&heightinch=11&activity=sed&weightN =89&heightfeetN=4&heightinchN=11&validweight=0&validheight=0&