HONOLULU -- The health of many American children is suffering.
Since the 1980s, childhood obesity rates have tripled, and this statistic not only affects our children's quality of life, but our national security, as well.
One out of four young adults aged 17-24 are turned away from military service due to being too heavy. Their weight management issues typically begin in early childhood.
Childhood factors. The significant increase in childhood obesity rates are due to a number of reasons. First, access to highly processed packaged foods is widespread. These same processed foods tend to be relatively dense in calories (i.e., a high amount of calories in a small volume of food) and have very few key nutrients, which bodies need to grow and use energy effectively.
These trends lead to a state where our children are overfed (too many calories), yet, simultaneously undernourished (not enough nutrients). Additionally, processed foods are often engineered to have the perfect combination of flavors that drive us to eat more.
Food manufacturing companies call this "the bliss point," and it is the reason why Lay's potato chips challenges consumers by putting on their labels "I bet you can't eat just one."
Another contributing factor to childhood obesity is that children get less physical activity today compared to previous decades. Children spend most of their day in a seated position, whether it is at school or after school watching television or playing video games.
American children spend an average of five to seven hours in front of a screen (e.g., TV, computer, etc.). As an added bonus, many of the media outlets viewed by kids advertise unhealthy foods.
Additionally, gym classes have been taken out of many schools, and playtime has been replaced with academic classes aimed at scoring well on standardized tests.
Solutions. A solution to the rising rates of childhood obesity will not be simple and will require a comprehensive change in lifestyle and dietary factors.
Changes in lifestyle factors include encouraging and allowing adequate time for activity during the school day and after school (i.e., at least 90 minutes of activity per day), limiting screen time to two hours or less per day, and getting adequate sleep.
Dietary changes include eating at least two servings of fruits and vegetables per meal (many children get less than one serving per day), having a source of high quality protein at most meals, and consuming nutrient rich, minimally processed foods.
More tips. Replace processed and packaged foods with less processed, whole foods (e.g., substitute animal crackers with banana and peanut butter).
•Replace sedentary forms of entertainment, such as watching TV, with active forms, such as hiking, throwing a baseball or frisbee.
•Include kids in the process of planning and preparing meals to expose them to new foods and teach them basic cooking skills.
•Spend time outdoors as a family.
•Start a calming night-time routine 30-60 minutes before bedtime to encourage adequate sleep (10-13 hours for preschoolers, 9-11 hours for school-age children, 8-10 hours for teens)
(Editor's note: Conklin is TAMC's chief, Nutrition Outpatient Clinic.)
Learn more
If you are interested in learning more about teaching kids how to lead a healthier life, contact the Nutrition Outpatient Clinic at (808) 433-4950.
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