Children need to eat enough nutrients for proper growth and development. Still, child obesity in America has become a more significant problem in recent years. According to the latest estimates, the US childhood obesity rate is at 19.7%, which means that nearly one in three kids or adolescents are obese or overweight.
The statistics on childhood obesity aren’t promising, but fortunately, there are several effective options for treating obesity in kids. Also, parents may implement several valuable approaches to prevent their children from gaining too much weight. In this article, the expert team at the Pediatric Endocrine and Metabolic Center of Florida has compiled a list of what parents can do to prevent childhood obesity from becoming a trend in their family and ensure that their child grows up to be a healthy adult without any chronic diseases.
Parents and The US Childhood Obesity Rate
Parents play a pivotal role in setting an excellent example for their dietary habits. When a child is inactive and overeats, the excess energy doesn’t get used up but gets stored as fat in the body, which may lead to unhealthy weight gain and, ultimately, being overweight or even obese.
On that note, the US childhood obesity rate isn’t just an unfavorable statistic; it also poses several health-related questions and concerns. Obesity in children and being overweight may lead to childhood diabetes and hypertension. Also, if children don’t learn to manage their weight and form healthier eating habits, they may face even more health complications and chronic health problems as adults.
Key Statistics on Childhood Obesity
- Between 2017 and 2018, approximately 19.3% of children aged two to 19 years old, equivalent to around 14.4 million children in the United States, were impacted by childhood obesity (CDC, 2021).
- During the COVID-19 pandemic, children in the 2-19 age group experienced a roughly twofold increase in the rate of BMI growth compared to the period preceding the pandemic (CDC, 2021).
- In 2021, 12.7% of children between the years two and five were obese in the US.
- 22.3% of children aged between 12 and 19 were obese in 2021.
- The US childhood obesity rate suggests that boys are more likely to be obese between the ages of five and 19.
- Hispanic children have the most pronounced obesity prevalence in the US, with 26.2%.
- Asian-American children had an obesity prevalence of only 9%.
- Obesity prevalence in black children was 24.8%.
- Obesity in non-Hispanic white children was 16.6%,
- Regarding socioeconomic status and the US childhood obesity rate, as the head of the household’s level of education increases, obesity prevalence in children decreases.
- Childhood obesity is associated with a grim, threefold greater mortality risk in early adulthood.
- While childhood obesity direct healthcare costs were $14 billion in 2014, experts estimate that this will reach $45 billion by 2050,
- It is estimated that the childhood obesity rate in the US has reached epidemic levels and can be considered a public health crisis.
What Can Parents Do to Decrease Childhood Obesity In America?
Parents can set a healthy example for their children; their role is essential in helping their children adopt a healthy lifestyle. Several studies have confirmed that the parents’ dietary choices have a direct influence on their children, meaning if the parent eats healthy, their kids will, too. On the other hand, if the parents opt for junk food and options with poor nutritional value, their kids will likely follow suit.
Since September is national childhood obesity awareness month, we will touch on a few effective strategies that can help parents combat childhood obesity and teach their children the foundation of healthy living.
Focus on The Right Proportion of Nutrients
Use different guides that focus on consuming the right amount of nutrients with each meal. These guidelines also have recommendations on portion control, and using these rules for long enough will enable your child to develop long-term, healthy eating habits.
Still, it’s important that parents also follow these healthy guidelines and take portion control recommendations seriously to help their child maintain a healthy weight or drop the excess pounds.
Developing Healthy Eating Habits
Creating healthy dietary habits can prevent and even reverse childhood obesity. As such, encourage your kids to:
- Eat a variety of foods.
- Gave several smaller meals throughout the day.
- Replace refined grains with whole grains.
- Help your child get into the routine of eating vegetables and fruits regularly.
- Focus on protein-rich foods like legumes, eggs, lean meat, and fish, and prepare these foods with little sugar, oil, or salt.
- Encourage the consumption of dairy products as they contribute to healthy growth and development.
- Opt for healthy snacks low in sugar, fat, and salt.
- Ensure your child drinks enough fluids, with water being the go-to thirst-quencher. Also, steer clear of sweetened drinks.
- Prioritize home-cooked meals prepared healthily, steamed, boiled, grilled, or stir-fried instead of deep frying.
- Offer your child healthier options when eating out.
- Don’t make any drastic changes all at once. Cut back on unhealthy food options gradually.
- If your child chooses healthier options independently, don’t forget to praise them for it.
- Have meals together as a family as frequently as possible.
- Set an example and opt for healthier choices yourself.
- Help your child create a meal routine.
- Be patient and persistent – forming healthier habits won’t happen overnight. Often, you will have to use food as a reward and might have to combine healthier snacks with less healthy options and gradually remove the junk from their diet.
Introduce Physical Activity
Physical inactivity and sedentary habits have been identified as significant contributors to childhood obesity. A case in point is the average daily screen time of approximately 2.5 hours per child. As the appeal of computer and video games continues to grow, many of which are accessible on smartphones, it is probable that children will increasingly allocate their time to screen-based activities rather than engaging in physically active pursuits.
In their capacity as role models, parents play a crucial role in mitigating this trend by encouraging their children to enhance their physical activity through participation in sports or exercise regimens. Furthermore, parents are advised to lead by example, reducing their own sedentary activities such as prolonged television viewing or smartphone gaming. This proactive approach can contribute significantly to fostering a healthier and more active lifestyle for children.
If You Need Expert Help
The goal of these tips above is to help you create a supportive environment for your children to adopt healthy and sustainable eating habits. Of course, especially if losing excess weight is required, the shift toward a healthier and more active lifestyle may be more difficult, and it takes a lot of focus and determination both from the parent and the child to lose the extra weight. Still, being at a healthy weight grants children more freedom and more joy and grants them the most important thing of all: a ticket toward healthy adulthood.
On that note, if you need help getting started with your child’s weight loss journey, feel free to contact our experts today.