P as in the word plump, L as in the word large, C as in the word chubby, F as in the word flabby. School meals have steadily gotten somewhat better so why is the percent of child obesity not? Obesity doesn't just happen overnight, although neither has fixed snacking habits, or choosing to pick a healthier option or lifestyle either.
If you're ever worried that your child needs to slim down, talk to your health care provider. A wonderful health care provider is Dr. Michael Nwaneri, MD at https://omegapediatrics.com/ Someone in the medical practice can help you come up with a safe plan to shed those few extra pounds off your child. Also, some expert advice may help you know what to focus on to help your child reach a healthy weight, no matter their age.
Lesson From The Lunchroom
Most children don't change their lifestyle overnight. School lunches have a massive impact on their food schedule and it's how they start their eating habits into adulthood.
For decades, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has administered school meal programs that provide funding to support free and reduced-price meals for students who meet the income criteria. So while these children are under this criteria the meals offered under must meet some kind of nutritional standards.
In recent decades, subsidized school meals had tilted toward processed foods high in fat, sugar, and sodium. In response to these trends, Congress passed the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in 2010, which required the USDA to update its standards for school meals to align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Danelle Fisher, MD, chair of pediatrics at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, CA says. "Kids need to know that every food they put into their bodies affects them."
When We Look At The Numbers, Obesity is Winning
All this leads up to the fact that child obesity is one of the largest health concerns in the United States and of parents.
The percentage of children with obesity in the United States have more than tripled since the 1970s. Today, about one in five school-aged children (ages 6–19) has obesity.
Obesity is defined as having excess body fat, while overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors. Body mass index, or BMI, is a widely used screening tool for measuring both overweight and obesity. BMI percentile is preferred for measuring children and young adults (ages 2–20) because it takes into account that they are still growing, and growing at different rates depending on their age and sex.
Obesity is defined as having excess body fat, while overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors. Body mass index, or BMI, is a widely used screening tool for measuring both overweight and obesity. BMI percentile is preferred for measuring children and young adults (ages 2–20) because it takes into account that they are still growing, and growing at different rates depending on their age and sex.
Health professionals use growth charts to see whether a child’s weight falls into a healthy range for the child’s height, age, and gender. Children with a BMI at or above the 85th percentile and less than the 95th percentile are considered overweight.Children at or above the 95th percentile have obesity.
Some data show that children with obesity miss more days of school compared to students with normal weights. Missed days of school, whether due to illness or to avoid weight-based bullying, can make it hard to keep up in school.
Some data show that children with obesity miss more days of school compared to students with normal weights. Missed days of school, whether due to illness or to avoid weight-based bullying, can make it hard to keep up in school.
Many experts believe schools are a key setting for efforts to prevent childhood obesity. Looking across multiple studies, teams of scientists have found that a comprehensive school-based approach is effective at preventing obesity.
This kind of approach supports school nutrition and physical activity environments and makes connections beyond the school day by involving parents and caregivers, as well as other community members. These kinds of changes in the school environment can support the health and well-being of all students.
It's All About The Tools
"Kids are the future. Yes, it’s a cliché, but it’s also the truth. These leaders recognize the importance of equipping the next generation with the tools they’ll need to navigate important health decisions and empowering them with the knowledge to live healthy lives now and into adulthood."
It's All About The Environment.
Schools play a critical role in improving the diet and physical activity of children and teens. Schools can create environments that support healthy eating and physical activity by implementing policies and practices those policies. Providing students with learning opportunities that support healthy eating and regular physical activity is so important for students to learn about and how to practice these behaviors.
CDC tested and got results for the best practices to promote healthy eating and physical activity in schools, culminating in nine guidelines. These guidelines were informed by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, and the Healthy People 2020 objectives related to healthy eating and physical activity among children, teens, and schools. The guidelines serve as a base for developing, implementing, and evaluating school-based healthy eating and physical activity policies and practices for students.
Could It Be So Simple?
Encouraging children to drink water with their school lunches could prevent more than half a million youths in the U.S. from becoming overweight or obese. With this project in effect it could bring down the medical costs associated with being overweight or obese by more than $13 billion.
When people increase their plain-water intake their nutrition profile doesn't change drastically. We do see, however, a significant drop in their saturated fat and sugar intake. The problems that would arise from drinking less whole milk is marginal, and minor in comparison with the costs associated with the rates of childhood overweight and obesity in the United States.
Yes, There Are Long Term Effects.
Childhood obesity has long-term impacts on physical, social, and emotional health.
Children with obesity are at higher risk for having other chronic health conditions and diseases that impact physical health, such as asthma, sleep apnea, bone and joint problems, type 2 diabetes, and risk factors for heart disease.
Children with obesity are bullied more than their normal weight peers,are more likely to suffer from social isolation, depression, and lower self-esteem, and tend to have lower grade in result of this.
Childhood obesity is also associated with having obesity as an adult, which is linked to serious conditions and diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and several types of cancer.
Children with obesity are at higher risk for having other chronic health conditions and diseases that impact physical health, such as asthma, sleep apnea, bone and joint problems, type 2 diabetes, and risk factors for heart disease.
Children with obesity are bullied more than their normal weight peers,are more likely to suffer from social isolation, depression, and lower self-esteem, and tend to have lower grade in result of this.
Childhood obesity is also associated with having obesity as an adult, which is linked to serious conditions and diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and several types of cancer.
What Do YOU Think Can Be Done To Help The Food Situation In Schools?
Although school lunch is not the only factor in what makes the younger generation of children unhealthy it Does play a huge role. The fact is if we don't change the circumstances we are putting our children in then there will be NO improvement, we can't expect children to change their lifestyle, AND change the circumstances to do such a thing. So, Yes there is a connection, and we as a country need to change that.
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