What is Childhood Obesity?Have you ever asked the question What is childhood obesity? We'll try to answer that question in complete detail on this webpage.Maybe you think your child is a bit chubby or a little overweight. Maybe some kids make fun of them at school? Maybe someone else made a comment to you? Whatever got you thinking about it, you're on the right track now.
We'll discuss what childhood obesity is here so you can determine if it fits your situation and what you need to do about it. In order to answer the question of what is childhood obesity?, we need to define childhood and obesity separately. The definition of childhood is the time period between birth and puberty. The definition of obesity is an abnormal amount of body fat or 20% or more above a person’s ideal body weight. The full definition of childhood obesity is an abnormal amount of body fat on a person between birth and puberty. Childhood obesity is a very serious condition not only affecting children, but also teenagers. Being obese in childhood can lead to many health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure. It can result in depression and lack of self-confidence. Obesity is usually a result of poor eating habits and lack of physical activity, but it can also be a symptom of other medical conditions like thyroid problems. Obesity in children can be determined by calculating BMI (Body Mass Index) and plotting the BMI on an age appropriate growth chart. If the child plots between the 95th and 100th percentile then they are considered obese. However, some children have large body frames and this may not be a good indicator of obesity in those cases. Also, as children go through different periods of growth they may plot as overweight or obese on a growth chart even though they are healthy. It is best to keep track of a child’s weight gain and growth over a long period of time in order to determine if there is a problem. The amount of weight gain changes throughout childhood and should be considered when determining whether a child is obese or not. Children ages 2 to 5 should gain 4 to 5 pounds per year. From ages 6 to 10 the average weight gain is about 5 to 7 pounds per year. At about age 9 to 10 in girls and 11 to 12 in boys growth and weight gain begins to increase. During this time it is normal for children to gain about 10 pounds per year. If your child is gaining much more than the average amount then it is time to take a look at your child’s diet and physical activity levels. It doesn’t take much extra weight for a child to be overweight or obese since they are smaller than adults. There is a huge difference between an adult who is 10 lbs overweight compared to a child who is 10 lbs overweight. So, what is childhood obesity? You should be able to determine that now using the tools provided on this page combined with a little common sense. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine in children. It's a growing problem and we need to do everything we can to stop it. Childhood obesity should not be taken lightly. The best way to keep your child from being obese is to prevent it from happening in the first place, but if it does happen, there is a solution. Through proper diet and exercise you can counter it early and prevent a lifetime of health issues, social anxiety and stress in general. The longer you wait to take action, the worse off your children will be. >>Go back to the top of this page What is Childhood Obesity<< >>Go back to Causes of Childhood Obesity<< >>Go to the Home page Childhood Obesity Help<< |
