Childhood Obesity: A Growing Epidemic

Childhood obesity is growing at a staggering rate.

Everyday, more of our children become the next adult obesity statistic.

As a registered nurse, I receive questions about obesity every day.

Even about obese children.

• My child is obese. What can I do about it?
• How do they overcome it?
• What treatments do health care professionals use to help these children?

Because of these questions, I added this section to overcome-obesity-today.com.

• Definition
• Diagnosis
• Causes
• Effects
• Treatments
• Child Nutrition
• Behavior Modification
• Statistics
• Facts
• Prevention
• Solutions
• Where to find more
• information and much, much more.

I consider a child to be between the ages of 6 to 11 years of age.

I consider an adolescent to be between the ages of 12 to 19 years of age.

Adolescents is the same as teenagers.

You can read more on teen obesity and find out their weight with the height weight scale.

When you think about obesity in children, one fact remains clear.

Obesity is a serious handicap to the social life of a child.

For a teenager, it is devastating.

Obese children's emotional problems include:

• Poor body image
• Low self-esteem
• Social isolation
• Feelings of rejection
• Depression.

• 15.3% of children ages six to 11 years of age suffer with obesity.
• 15.5% of teens ages 12 to 19 years of age suffer with obesity.
• From 1976 to 2002 the obesity rates in children ages six to 11 years of age went from 7% to 16%.
• During the same time, the rate of obesity for teens tripled.

On the homepage of this web site, you learned about all the different diseases that obesity leads to in adults.

Guess what? Those same diseases occur with obese children.

That's right. Children and teens suffer from the same diseases as adults do.

The sad fact about it is that most of these children never had a chance.

Why? Because of us!

In our fast-paced, hurry up, go-go world, us adults reach for the quick fix:

• A fast dinner at the local drive-through restaurant.
• A quick pick me up such as a candy bar and a Coke.

Most of us never realize the impact that it had on our children.

I say us, because I was as guilty as the next parent.

Luckily for me, my children never became obese.

But, what about the children that did become obese?

How do we help them?

• Learn the causes of childhood obesity and how to prevent them.
• Teach them to your children.
• Be a role model for your child.
• Make your child your exercise buddy.
• Limit your child�s television and computer time.
• Go outside and play with your child.
• Read through this website to learn more about obesity and how to overcome it.

Follow the links above to find out what you can do to help your children fight childhood obesity and win!

Together, we will make a difference. One child at a time.