Childhood Obesity

The month of September has now been proclaimed National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. In the U.S., 1 in 3 children are considered obese. Children who are considered obese fall under a body mass index (or BMI) at or above the 95th percentile of the age- and sex-specific growth charts.

Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition and it has both instantaneous and long-standing consequences on our children’s health and well-being. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, children who are obese are more likely to be obese as adults and they are more likely to have health effects such as heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type II diabetes, stroke, cancer (breast, colon, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, thyroid, ovarian, cervical, prostate, multiple myeloma, Hodgkin’s lymphoma) and osteoarthritis.

So lets take action now and help our children develop healthy lifestyle habits. Eating a more nutritious diet and getting involved in daily physical activities are good starting points to tackle the problem. Keep in mind that treating and preventing childhood obesity helps protect the health of our children now and in the future.

Visit www.letsmove.gov for more information on childhood obesity and to learn more about what is being done nationwide to combat this condition.