7 Serious Facts About Childhood Obesity
September 18, 2013Since 2010, September has been designated as Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. The month long campaign is designed to help bring awareness to programs and activities that promote exercise and healthy eating for children. The hope is for communities and families to come together and take the necessary steps that will help support the efforts to help reduce childhood obesity nationwide.
What Do You Know About Childhood Obesity?
by Tammy J. Colter
Editor-In-Chief
ObesityHelp.com
How aware are you of the serious statistics and facts about the national childhood obesity epidemic and how it can affect the future of our children? Here are 7 important facts about childhood obesity that you may not be aware of:
Fact #1:
An article published in October's Pediatrics has revealed that formerly obese teens are at a high risk for developing eating disorders as they lose weight. Research also shows that the identification of the eating disorder is often slow in being diagnosed and therefore the necessary treatment is delayed. This is most likely due to the teens weight history.
Fact #2:
Over 23 million children and teens ages 2-19 are obese or overweight.
Fact #3:
Over the last 30 plus years, the obesity rates in children and teens has just about tripled.
Fact #4
Obese children have a higher risk of suffering from psychological and social issues which can include having low self-esteem, being bullied, being discriminated against, depression, and obsessive compulsive disorder. Such issues often follow the child into adulthood.
Fact #5:
Children and teens who are obese are at risk for many of the same diseases as adults: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, joint pain, and more.
Fact #6:
Children and teens who are obese are 80% more likely to become obese adults and experience more severe obesity as adults than those who were of a normal weight as children.
Fact #7:
It is estimated that $14 billion in healthcare costs each year can be attributed to childhood obesity related medical treatments.
HBO clip on childhood obesity: