1、UNDERSTANDINGChildhood ObesityAn educational resource provided by2What is Childhood Obesity?What is Childhood Obesity?Childhood obesity affects more than 30 percent of children,making it the most common chronic disease of childhood.Today,more and more children are being diagnosed with diabetes,hyper
2、tension and other co-morbid conditions associated with obesity and severe obesity.A child is affected by obesity if their body mass index-for-age(or BMI-for-age)percentile is greater than 95 percent.A child is affected by excess weight(or classified as“overweight”)if their BMI-for-age percentile is
3、greater than 85 percent and less than 95 percent.Causes of Childhood ObesityCauses of Childhood ObesityAlthough the causes of childhood obesity are widespread,certain factors are targeted as major contributors to this epidemic.Causes associated with childhood obesity include:EnvironmentEnvironmentTo
4、days environment plays a major role in shaping the habits and perceptions of children and adolescents.The prevalence of television commercials promoting unhealthy foods and eating habits is a large contributor.In addition,children are surrounded by environmental influences that demote the importance
5、 of physical activity.Today,it is estimated that approximately 40 to 50 percent of every dollar that is spent on food is spent on food outside the home in restaurants,cafeterias,sporting events,etc.In addition,as portion sizes have increased,when people eat out they tend to eat a larger quantity of
6、food(calories)than when they eat at home.Beverages such as soda and juice boxes also greatly contribute to the childhood obesity epidemic.It is not uncommon for a 32 ounce soda to be marketed toward children,which contains approximately 400 calories.The consumption of soda by children has increased