6.00 pm Cultural Program - India-Link.org

Childhood Obesity
An Epidemic which absolutely
needs to be controlled
Definition
Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition. It
affects both children and adolescents. It occurs when a
child is well above the normal weight for his or her age
and height. Childhood obesity is particularly troubling
because it often starts children on the path to health
problems that were once confined to adults, such as
diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Childhood obesity can also lead to psychological issues
such as poor self-esteem and depression.
Symptoms
Not all children carrying extra pounds are overweight or
obese. Some children have larger than average body
frames. Amount of body fat also varies at various stages
of development. It is difficult to know just by looking at
your child if his or her weight is a health concern. To do
this, your child’s doctor will calculate your child’s body
mass index (BMI). The BMI indicates if your child is
overweight for his or her age and height.
Using a growth chart: Your doctor determines your child’s
percentile, meaning how your child compares with other
children of the same sex and age. So, for example, you
68 INDIA LINK, 2011
By Dr. Jambunathan Krishnan, MD
might be told that your child is in the 80th percentile. This
means that compared with other children of the same
sex and age, 80 percent have a lower BMI.
Cutoff points on these growth charts: established by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), help
identify overweight and obese children.
When to see a doctor
If you’re worried that your child is putting on too much
weight, talk to his or her doctor or health care provider.
He or she will consider your child’s individual history of
growth and development, your family’s weight-for-height
history, and where your child lands on the growth charts.
This can help determine if your child’s weight is in an
unhealthy range.
Causes
Most of the time it’s caused by lifestyle issues with kids
eating too much and exercising too little. Rarely other
genetic and hormonal issues such as Cushings disease
and Prader Willi Syndrome may be the reason.
Risk Factors
There may be one or more than one factors acting in
tandem.
Diet: Regularly eating high-calorie foods, such as fast
foods, baked goods and vending machine snacks, can
easily cause your child to gain weight. Loading up on soft
drinks, candy and desserts also can cause weight gain.
Foods and beverages like these are high in sugar, fat and
calories.
Lack of exercise: Children who don’t exercise much are
more likely to gain weight because they don’t burn calories
through physical activity. Inactive leisure activities, such