There’s been a lot of research on childhood obesity. Here are some of the findings.
One of the biggest problems in tackling childhood obestiy is getting people to acknowledge it is a problem at all.
Parental resistance is a common barrier to intervention. Some parents deny they play a part. Others refuse to admit there is a weight problem.
Childhood obesity is a childhood epidemic. Young people are vulnerable to cardiovascular disease Type-II diabetes sleep apnoea cirrhosis and other diseases.
You have to ask: How do children get to be obese?
Childhood obesity is a big problem. Findings from a big national survey released this week of young people in Years 8 to 11 found one in four are overweight or obese.
Most of the excessively heavy young people do not lead healthy lifestyles. 85% don’t get enough exercise; 76% don’t eat enough vegetables; 59% don’t eat enough fruit; one in three drink four or more cups of soft drink cordial or sports drink a week.
The influences on obesity can start before birth. Prenatal risk factors have a causative relationship with adipogenesis the creation of adipocytes (fat cells).
A Harvard study identifies 4 maternal factors of adipogenesis:
[ul]Pre-pregnancy maternal obesity
Excess weight gain during pregnancy
Smoking during pregnancy
Gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy)[/ul]