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 The Skinny on Overweight Children
by Tom Campbell
December 4, 2008
Obesity, especially among our young people, is a growing problem in North Carolina – no pun intended. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention says that one out of three children under 19 years of age is overweight; as many as 17 percent are obese, creating worries about the health and productivity of an entire generation. There is an 80 percent likelihood an obese child will become an obese adult.
Obese children are more prone to health problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, joint problems and Type 2 diabetes, once a rarity in pediatricians’ offices. Not only is the health of the child at risk but a study by Thomson Reuters estimates it is three times more costly to treat an obese child than one of average weight, adding billions of dollars to America’s health care costs.
There is no single cause for this epidemic. Working adults, especially single parents, often don’t have time to prepare balanced and nutritious meals for their families, opting for relatively inexpensive fast foods high in calories and carbohydrates. At home children “veg out” in front of a video game, computer or TV instead of opting for physical activity outdoors.
School lunchrooms have increasingly chosen to serve what the students want to eat instead of what is good for them and school vending machines with high-sugar high-calorie drinks and snacks don’t help the cause. Public schools compound the problem by devoting an increasing amount of time teaching, reviewing, and testing for end-of-grade tests that rob students of playtime and physical education.
Only now are health organizations beginning to focus on the impact this overweight and obese generation will have. For certain there will be more lost time from work, increased costs for health insurance and health care as these overweight children become obese adults coping with heart problems, diabetes, and other chronic illnesses. The next generation may even experience reduced life expectancy.
Some in North Carolina are taking positive action. Four Craven County Schools are demonstrating what can be done if leaders are determined to tackle the overweight problem. At Ben Quinn Elementary School, in New Bern, students start each school day with ten minutes of exercises having names like the broccoli bump and beet in feet. Each afternoon an additional twenty minutes is spent at exercise stations. Teachers are emphasizing to students the value of fruits and veggies and the school cafeteria is supporting these efforts with healthier choices on the lunch line. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has recognized Bridgeton Elementary, Oaks Road Elementary and Havelock Elementary Schools as some of the healthiest in the nation.
It is unacceptable for one out of three children to be overweight or almost one in five to be obese. We can and we should put our collective weight (pun intended) toward the elimination of overweight and obese children. Not only will it improve the quality and length of their lives but it will benefit each of us by reducing health care and health insurance costs. We spend a lot of money and energy providing the next generation with a quality education. We need to be equally diligent about their physical health. |
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