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By the Numbers

More than 12 million American children between ages 2-19 are overweight, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. That’s about 25 percent of the childhood population. In Georgia, a 2005 survey of third graders indicated 24 percent are overweight. That’s more than four times higher than the Georgia Department of Health expected. Georgia now ranks 36th in the U.S. for childhood obesity, with 32 percent of children ages 10-17 being overweight or obese.

The continual climb in obesity rates can be attributed to an imbalance in the amount of energy consumed (calories) and energy expended (exercise). Genetics may play a part, but medical experts agree that the rise in obesity rates is more than can be accounted for by genes alone.

More likely, experts agree, it’s the behaviors regarding food and exercise, along with environmental influences, that are greater contributing factors for overweight children.

“Lifestyle plays a huge role, even for children,” says Narayan. Calorie consumption, physical activity and sedentary behavior all play a role in a child’s health.

Get Moving

Tanya Mathis of Ellenwood decided to help her own child, Kyle, age 9, get rid of his sedentary habits.
“Kyle had always been a healthy kid, but he likes reading and video games,” says Mathis. At Kyle’s 8-year checkup, the doctor was concerned about his weight. At his 9-year checkup, he hadn’t gained weight but he still remained in the 90th percentile, says his mom.

The Mathis family – mom, Kyle and younger brother Cobe – participated in Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Fit Kids program, a six-week family education program that focuses on healthier eating and increasing physical activity.

“It is about being active and getting away from sedentary activity,” Csukas says. It’s also a matter of balance. Csukas suggests trading TV viewing time with a planned activity for the same duration. “The idea is just moving.”

Three things that have benefited the Mathis family are no TV during mealtimes, drinking more water, and more family activities, says Tanya.

Like the Mathis family, the Ramspecks are enjoying more time together as a family. Nightly walks have become mother-daughter bonding time, says mom Kathy.

Some parents enroll their child in organized sports, knowing the physical activity is good for them. Page Love, a registered dietitian and founder of Nutrifit Sport Therapy in Atlanta, is a proponent for activity, but says not all sports are helping children stay active, especially kids who don’t like organized sports. She tries to help parents find other ways to keep their children active.

With more schools lacking physical education, especially in middle and high schools, parents need to ensure their children are staying active. Csukas says exercise also prevents illness and improves mental function for academic success.

“It’s so hard as a busy parent to try to squeeze in time to be active,” says Mathis. She and her son, Kyle, compete in jump rope contests with each other at home.

On-the-Go Lives

We lead busier, more overscheduled lives than ever, yet our activities of choice tend to be more sedentary ones. Watching TV, surfing the Internet, checking e-mail, and playing video games top the list of things to do.
“In Atlanta, we’ve basically engineered physical activity out of people’s lives,” says Dr. William Dietz, director of the nutrition and physical activity division at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. “Shopping and schools are not accessible [by foot], and there’s no access to fresh fruits and vegetables.” In some areas there may not be any safe parks or playgrounds to play.

As a society on the run – and driving our cars to get there – families are eating out more, consuming the oversized portions that restaurants dish out. We choose more convenient foods when preparing meals at home, opting for quick freezer-to-oven meals or boxed varieties.

“Parents are admitting to eating out one to two times a day,” says Love, who counsels individuals and families in nutrition and weight management. “It’s not just fast food. Parents are stopping by the grocery to pick up a ready-made meal. That counts as takeout, too.”

According to Dietz, almost 50 percent of meals are consumed outside of the home.

Healthy Eating

“With every can of soda a child drinks, we are setting a trend for kids to become calcium and mineral deficient,” says Emory’s Narayan. “We need more healthy products. There’s a wider availability of convenience foods, including sweetened drinks.”

Love echoes Narayan’s sentiments, particularly when families are eating out so often. “They are eating foods loaded with cheese and red meat,” she adds.

Ramspeck realized her eating habits had to change when her family pointed out that she would routinely ask for second and third helpings of rice, noodles or breads. Controlling the portions, particularly of the foods she loved the most, was important.

“Children are responsible for how much they eat,” says Dietz. “Parents are responsible for what’s offered.”
Besides portion control, health experts say kids should be getting sufficient amounts of fruits and vegetables (that’s five servings per day) and maintaining a healthy balance of foods, including a ban on fast food.

For Georgia high school students, only one in five eats the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily, according to the Georgia Department of Human Resources.

Love was helping one overweight 13-year-old lose weight. “After six months, she had gained weight,” says Love. “But it was appropriate for the two inches of height she had gained in the same time period.”

Love warns parents not to focus on the numbers – the pounds on the scale, the calories or the fat content. Instead, teach about portion control and how to understand serving sizes on snack food labels and restaurant menus.

“I like to see less talking and more modeling,” says Love. To support a child, the family must work together, she adds.

Reversing the Trend

Our generation of children could soon become the first in American history to live shorter lives than their parents, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine. For the first time in two centuries, American life expectancy may actually decline, due to obesity.

As parents, we want what’s best for our children. Never did we imagine that what we are feeding – or not feeding – our children, or what we are doing – or not doing – with our children, would impact their lives so adversely.

According to experts, placing blame just isn’t possible. Some may blame genetics. Others may see it as parental responsibility. Experts say it’s a multi-faceted problem, with a multi-faceted solution.

Blame the peer culture. Blame the school culture. Throw in the media with its blatant advertising. No matter how you look at it, there are food cues everywhere bombarding our children, sometimes long before they are capable of making their own food choices.

As parents, we have a huge task to ensure our children grow up learning healthy habits. More activity and less high-calorie foods is definitely the winning combination, say experts.

“Should we even be talking about obesity?” asks Dietz. “It’s more about healthy eating and active living, not just prevention of weight gain.”

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