Junk Food

JUNK FOOD KILLING KIDS

Spoiling the children with high-fat, high-sugar foods has been proven scientifically unsafe, as American researchers reveal that kids and teens in the US are becoming fatter and more at risk for a series of diseases.

Dr Chaoyang Li of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, Dr Stephen Cook, of the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York, and colleagues examined data from several national surveys of health and fitness taken by the Federal Government. Information was collected from more than 22,000 two- to 19-year-olds.

What they found is worrisome: the abdominal fat of children and teenagers has increased significantly over the years, putting them at a greater risk of heart diseases and diabetes. Since the 1990s, abdominal fat has increased by more than 65 per cent, as have obesity rates.

However, abdominal fat is a reason for alarm not necessarily from an esthetic point of view – it is more clearly and strongly linked with disease than general body fat is. The American researchers found that 10.5 per cent of boys and girls had too much abdominal fat in 1999, as measured by waist circumference, while in 2004, it grew to 17.4 per cent of boys and 17.8 per cent of girls.

Dr. Cook commented the following: “Those increases only grow more alarming as you tease out specific age groups over longer periods of time. For example, between the 1988-1994 data and the 1999-2004 data, the largest relative increase in the prevalence of abdominal obesity occurred among two- to five-year old boys - 84 per cent - and 18- to 19-year-old girls - 126 per cent.”

The researchers also caution parents and caregivers that a watchful eye can nip potential health problems in the bud. "Kids, teens and adults who have early stages of atherosclerosis in their arteries can have a healthy cardiovascular system again," Dr Cook said. "Older adults who have plaque build-up have a much harder battle, especially if the plaque has calcified."

This doesn’t mean that you should weight and measure your child daily, but that you can keep an eye on the little one’s belly. It’s as easy as that. A five-year-old that has the protruding belly of an adult should raise concern. There’s no need for embarrassment though. Dr. Cook explains how the abundance of high-fat, high-sugar foods, especially foods containing high-fructose corn syrup, present on the market these days, “could be predisposing children not only to become fatter, but disproportionately fat around the middle”.

The major use of corn syrup, rich in glucose, is in commercially prepared foods as a sweetener and for its moisture-retaining properties which keep foods moist and maintain freshness. As a sucrose replacement, its sweetness is often insufficient and it is used in conjunction with high intensity sweeteners. It is used in a variety of food products, from candy bars to ketchup and hamburger buns. Studies suggest average daily fructose consumption has increased 25 per cent over the past 30 years.

The researchers also found an increase in body mass index (BMI), a weight-to-height ratio widely used as a measure of being overweight or obese. The percentage of six- to 11-year-olds with high BMI scores increased about 25 per cent between 1999 and 2004. The percentage with abdominal fat increased over the same period to 19.2 per cent from 14.2 per cent. The increases in belly fat occurred in all age, racial and ethnic groups.

"The good thing is, we know that in kids [the health effect of abdominal fat] is completely reversible, if we can get them to exercise more and to adjust their diet and adopt a healthy lifestyle," Dr. Cook says

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Overweight kids in Crisis

Childhood Obesity Becoming Rampant

The percentage of American kids who are overweight or obese has swelled to such a level that public health officials call it an epidemic. Now, an international study reveals that the rate of obesity among children in other nations is also on the rise.
It is suggested that in the US, obesity causes at least 300,000 excess deaths, and healthcare costs of American obese adults amount to about $100 billion.
Investigators reviewed national health surveys on more than 6,000 US children aged 6 to 18 years between 1988 to 1994. They also looked at data on more than 3,000 children in China and nearly 7,000 children in Russia, from the early 1990s.
In the US, about 11% of children were obese and slightly more than 14% were overweight.
In comparison, 6% of kids in Russia were obese and 10% were overweight. In China, 3.6% of kids were obese and 3.4% were overweight.
The study also uncovered differences in the way wealth and poverty influence a child's risk of obesity among nations. Chinese and Russian children from the wealthiest families were heavier than kids from poor families, while US children from the poorest families were more likely than their more well-off peers to be obese.
In China, richer people have better access to meat and other energy-dense foods, which are much more expensive than other foods such as vegetables, than the poor. In the US, higher socioeconomic groups usually consume more vegetables and fruits, which are less energy.

Obesity making us sick!!

Among female youth, the highest overweight and obesity prevalence is found in black (non-Hispanic) girls (ages 6 to 11), 37.6 percent and 22.2 percent respectively, and black (non-Hispanic) adolescent females (ages 12 to 19), 45.5 percent and 26.6 percent respectively.
Among male youth, the highest overweight and obesity prevalence is found in Mexican American boys (ages 6 to 11), 43 percent and 27.3 percent respectively, and Mexican American adolescent males (ages 12 to 19), 44.2 percent and 27.5 percent respectively.
Overweight prevalence for Native American children and adolescents (ages 5 to 17) was reported in a 1999 study as 39 percent for males and 38 percent for females in the Aberdeen area Indian Health Service.
Asian American adolescents (ages 13 to 18) were reported to have an overweight prevalence of 20.6 percent in the 1996 National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health.
Asian-American and Hispanic-American adolescents born in the U.S. to immigrant parents are more than twice as likely to be overweight as foreign born adolescents who move to the U.S.
Health Effects
Many adverse health effects associated with overweight are observed in children and adolescents. Overweight during childhood and particularly adolescence is related to increased morbidity and mortality in later life.
Asthma
Prevalence of overweight is reported to be significantly higher in children and adolescents with moderate to severe asthma compared to a peer group. Diabetes (Type 2)
Type 2 diabetes in children and adolescents has increased dramatically in a short period. The parallel increase of obesity in children and adolescents is reported to be the most significant factor for the rise in diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes accounted for 2 to 4 percent of all childhood diabetes before 1992, but skyrocketed to 16 percent by 1994.
Obese children and adolescents are reported to be 12.6 times more likely than non-obese to have high fasting blood insulin levels, a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes is predominant among African American and Hispanic youngsters, with a particularly high rate among those of Mexican descent. Hypertension
Persistently elevated blood pressure levels have been found to occur about 9 times more frequently among obese children and adolescents (ages 5 to 18) than in non-obese.
Obese children and adolescents are reported to be 2.4 times more likely to have high diastolic blood pressure and 4.5 times more likely to have high systolic blood pressure than their non-obese peers. Orthopedic Complications
Among growing youth, bone and cartilage in the process of development are not strong enough to bear excess weight. As a result, a variety of orthopedic complications occur in children and adolescents with obesity. In young children, excess weight can lead to bowing and overgrowth of leg bones.
Increased weight on the growth plate of the hip can cause pain and limit range of motion. Between 30 to 50 percent of children with this condition are overweight. Psychosocial Effects & Stigma
Overweight children are often taller than the non-overweight.
White girls, who develop a negative body image, are at a greater risk for the subsequent development of eating disorders.
Adolescent females who are overweight have reported experiences with stigmatization such as direct and intentional weight-related teasing, jokes and derogatory name calling, as well as less intentional, potentially hurtful comments by peers, family members, employers and strangers.
Overweight children and adolescents report negative assumptions made about them by others, including being inactive or lazy, being strong and tougher than others, not having feelings, and being unclean. Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea, the absence of breathing during sleep, occurs in about 7 percent of children with obesity. Deficits in logical thinking are common in

Obesity in Youth

Obesity in Youth

Diabetes, hypertension and other obesity-related chronic diseases that are prevalent among adults have now become more common in youngsters. The percentage of children and adolescents who are overweight and obese is now higher than ever before. Poor dietary habits and inactivity are reported to contribute to the increase of obesity in youth.
Today's youth are considered the most inactive generation in history caused in part by reductions in school physical education programs and unavailable or unsafe community recreational facilities.
This fact sheet outlines many factors related to obesity in youth that make it the major health care challenge for the 21st century.Overweight and Obesity Defined
Overweight and obesity for children and adolescents are defined respectively in this fact sheet as being at or above the 85th and 95th percentile of Body Mass Index (BMI).
Some researchers refer to the 95th percentile as overweight and other as obesity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which provides national statistical data for weight status of American youth, avoids using the word "obesity," and identifies every child and adolescent above the 85th percentile as "overweight."
The AOA uses the 95th percentile as criteria for obesity because it:
corresponds to a BMI of 30 which is obesity in adults. The 85th percentile corresponds to a BMI of 25, adult overweight.
is recommended as a marker for when children and adolescents should have an in-depth medical assessment.
identifies children that are very likely to have obesity persist into adulthood.
is associated with elevated blood pressure and lipids in older adolescents, and increases their risk of diseases.
is a criteria for more aggressive treatment.
is a criteria in clinical trials of childhood obesity treatments.