Obesity in kids
The Couriers article on childhood obesity reinforces what most of us already know. Our society is getting fatter. It is not just a childhood problem, but a societal problem.
[U.S. children are getting fatter, survey finds]
Parental perceptions of obesity are a very important aspect of the overall problem. Identification is only an initial step and perhaps the easiest. Helping families understand obesity and admit the problem, while working effectively with them toward treatment and prevention represents a much more complex issue. Attitudes and behaviors of parents and children related to exercise, eating, and child obesity remains a major area of intervention.
Parental perception is not always dependable as demonstrated in two recent studies by researchers. (Baughcum, Chamberlin, Deeks, Powers, & Whitaker, 2000; Myers & Vargas, 2000) In these studies, a substantial percentage of parents failed to identify their obese children as overweight at all. Parental recognition and acceptance that their child is overweight is vital if interventions are to be initiated and successful.
Physicians need to educate parents more at their routine well child visits. Some parents feel the growth curve correlates with parenting skills. Some misinterpret the percentage on the curve as being a percentage of how they rate as parents. Parental perceptions of their children's growth measurements must be carefully assessed and clarified.
Parents also influence the nature and amount of physical activity in which children engage and it is most likely through an interaction of direct and indirect influence. Parents have direct influence by providing an environment that nurtures physical activity in the child, and have indirect influence through modeling physical activities themselves. Children 4 to 7 years of age whose parents were physically active were nearly six times as likely to be physically active compared to peers where neither parent was physically active (Moore et al., 1991).
Genetics certainly play a role in obesity, but eating habits, exercise habits and lifestyles are ingrained in kids by the age of 7-10. Statistics show that if they are overweight by this age, they will battle weight their entire lives. Our kids need us to set healthy examples. They learn and model what they see.
Today's allergy levels for FLOYDS KNOBS, IN:
Wednesday - 8.9/High
Today's predominant pollen:
Cedar/Juniper, Elm and Birch.
[U.S. children are getting fatter, survey finds]
Parental perceptions of obesity are a very important aspect of the overall problem. Identification is only an initial step and perhaps the easiest. Helping families understand obesity and admit the problem, while working effectively with them toward treatment and prevention represents a much more complex issue. Attitudes and behaviors of parents and children related to exercise, eating, and child obesity remains a major area of intervention.
Parental perception is not always dependable as demonstrated in two recent studies by researchers. (Baughcum, Chamberlin, Deeks, Powers, & Whitaker, 2000; Myers & Vargas, 2000) In these studies, a substantial percentage of parents failed to identify their obese children as overweight at all. Parental recognition and acceptance that their child is overweight is vital if interventions are to be initiated and successful.
Physicians need to educate parents more at their routine well child visits. Some parents feel the growth curve correlates with parenting skills. Some misinterpret the percentage on the curve as being a percentage of how they rate as parents. Parental perceptions of their children's growth measurements must be carefully assessed and clarified.
Parents also influence the nature and amount of physical activity in which children engage and it is most likely through an interaction of direct and indirect influence. Parents have direct influence by providing an environment that nurtures physical activity in the child, and have indirect influence through modeling physical activities themselves. Children 4 to 7 years of age whose parents were physically active were nearly six times as likely to be physically active compared to peers where neither parent was physically active (Moore et al., 1991).
Genetics certainly play a role in obesity, but eating habits, exercise habits and lifestyles are ingrained in kids by the age of 7-10. Statistics show that if they are overweight by this age, they will battle weight their entire lives. Our kids need us to set healthy examples. They learn and model what they see.
Today's allergy levels for FLOYDS KNOBS, IN:
Wednesday - 8.9/High
Today's predominant pollen:
Cedar/Juniper, Elm and Birch.
posted by Anonymous at 6:35 AM
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