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Obesity in kids seen as warning sign
The WEA Trust and the Department of Public Instruction know that childhood obesity is a problem in the United States, and curtailing that problem is a big reason behind Movin’ and Munchin’ Schools.
While many parents think that “baby fat” will melt away as kids get older, research increasingly shows that overweight kids become overweight adults, with higher risks for many health problems. In fact, a growing body of research suggests that childhood obesity is likely to result in heart disease as children age.
In studies released in November 2008 at an American Heart Association conference, obese children as young as 10 were shown to have the arteries of 45-year-olds and other heart abnormalities that greatly raise their risk of heart disease, say doctors who used ultrasound tests to take a peek inside.
About a third of American children are overweight and 16% are considered obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Some medical experts are seeing an increase in Type 2 diabetes in children, which they believe is a consequence of increased obesity.
Dr. Michael Schloss, a New York University heart disease prevention specialist, said the evidence shows obesity is more than a cosmetic issue for kids.
“The time has come to seriously deal with the issue of childhood obesity and physical inactivity on a governmental and parental level,” he said.
Sources: New York Times, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
