Obesity Rates in Children at an All-time High...and Rising: A Wakeup Call
- Denise Scott
- 2 days ago
- 6 min read
Overweight adolescent measuring waist circumference.
A recent report by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reveals that the incidence of obesity in children ages 2-19 is at an all-time high. This is a global trend. I have written about this topic before, but it deserves repeating. The purpose of this blog is to educate, to combat this trend, and to prevent future diseases through nutrition, starting at an early age.
The Facts:
The current rate of obesity in children is 20%, meaning 1 in 5 children is considered obese. Compare this to the 1970s, in which 5% of children were obese, or 1 in 20.
Since 1999, there has been a near doubling of severe obesity in adolescents. In the past 50 years, the rate has quadrupled and shows no signs of slowing.
1 in 8 preschoolers is affected by obesity
Severe obesity has become its own epidemic within the obesity epidemic.
The number of children with severe obesity is increasing faster than that of children with general obesity.
On average, a child today weighs 10 to 15 pounds more than a child of the 1970s.
This epidemic is causing the lifespan of the youngest generation to be shorter than that of their parents.
Type 2 diabetes (T2D), once known as adult-onset diabetes, is now the predominant type of diabetes in children (unheard of 20 years ago).
Bariatric surgery is now promoted as a treatment for adolescents with severe obesity, as are obesity meds.
This. Is. Frightening.
If we don’t change this trajectory, we rob our children and grandchildren of a long healthy life.
WE CAN DO BETTER!
Children today should not be subjected to a life of chronic illness that is largely preventable. Prevention is not difficult or expensive, but changing habits is challenging.
Cartoon of a child and schematic of all the body organs.
Almost every organ is affected by obesity.
Obesity affects almost every organ system and can lead to:
Cardiovascular disease
High blood pressure
Lung diseases such as asthma and sleep apnea
Fatty liver disease
Gallstones
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Metabolic syndrome
Type 2 diabetes
Polycystic ovarian syndrome
Infertility problems
Joint problems
High cholesterol and lipids
Increased risk for cancer - The National Cancer Institute has associated 13 different cancers with obesity.
What are the Causes?
Ultra-processed foods and excessive sugar consumption are the primary culprits. The addition of fructose and high-fructose corn syrup as sweeteners is also damaging our health.
Many factors contribute to obesity development. These include genetic factors, psychological factors, sedentary lifestyle, excess calories for one’s size and age, socioeconomic factors, and certain medications or health conditions. We cannot control all these entirely, but we can control our food choices and purchases.
During the low-fat craze of the 1970s and 80s, when fat was thought to cause heart disease, food manufacturers began creating low-fat and fat-free options. Removing fat decreased the palatability of these foods, so they sweetened their low-fat products with more sugar. This dramatically increased sugar consumption in this country. That, combined with processed foods, fast-food restaurants, and sugar-sweetened beverages escalated overall calorie consumption. Food became more energy-dense and nutrient-depleted, so the calories and sugar increased, even even while eating a similar volume of food.
Processed and fast foods are energy-dense - loaded with calories, added sugars, and saturated fats. They lack fiber and nutrients, but certainly don’t lack calories.
Ironically, we later learned that sugar and saturated fats contribute to heart disease. Excess sugar is converted to triglycerides in the liver, leading to cardiovascular disease.
Consuming these energy-dense foods also creates cravings for more. It is a vicious cycle; people have become food and sugar addicts. An increase in sugar consumption actually triggers pleasure centers in the brain, similar to drugs.
THE CURE IS NOT SIMPLY TO EAT LESS BUT TO EAT BETTER!
Making better food choices is at the heart of obesity prevention.
Here are my Top Twenty suggestions:
Be mindful of what food you bring into your home. Begin now to purchase fewer ultra-processed food items and add more fruit and vegetables to your shopping list.
Know what you are buying by reading labels. Look for products with a short (5 or fewer) ingredient list. Better yet, buy items that don’t require a label, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. Shopping the perimeter of the store offers the most nutrient-dense foods. Avoid foods with added sugar and ingredients you can’t pronounce (typically chemicals and additives).
A nutrition label which shows total sugars listed under carbohydrates and added sugars listed under total sugars.
Learn which sweets are healthier, with lower sugar, with fiber, and made with fruit or vegetables. Search online for delicious dessert recipes made with veggies. For example, you can make brownies, cookies, and muffins using sweet potatoes, black beans, avocados, chickpeas, or fruits. Eat more fruit and limit baked goods to an occasional treat.
Processed sweets (candies and baked goods), labeled "bad sugar" and foods with natural sugars (fresh and dried fruits, nuts), labeled "good sugar".
Start your child’s day with a healthy, hearty breakfast with protein and fiber. Take ten extra minutes in the morning to ensure a healthy start to their day. See breakfast ideas here:
Incorporate healthy fats into your diet with plant-based cooking oils (like olive and avocado oils), nuts, seeds, fatty fish, and avocado. See information on healthy fats here: https://www.feedfuturehealth.com/post/macronutrients-1
Decrease consumption of refined grains with simple substitutions:
Brown rice instead of white rice
Whole wheat or whole grain bread and crackers rather than those made with white flour
Almond or oat flour for baking
Whole wheat or vegetable pasta instead of regular pasta
Increase your variety of grains with quinoa, farro, barley, oats, buckwheat, and more.
Eat seafood twice a week.
Strive for several plant-based meals weekly. Substitute beans, lentils, chopped mushrooms, or tofu for meat.
Use more spices and less salt when cooking. Buy fresh, frozen, low-salt, or no-salt items.
10. Fill half of your child’s plate with fruit and vegetables.
11. Stop buying sodas, juices, dessert coffee drinks, and sugar-sweetened beverages. Significantly reduce or eliminate sugar-sweetened beverages.
12. Avoid artificial sweeteners. These can affect insulin levels, leading to the desire for more sweet items and weight gain.
13. Limit technology. Make it a habit to get 30 minutes of exercise for every hour spent on the computer or watching TV. If your child plays video games, find ones that require movement and standing while playing. Use social media to find workouts that can be done at home without equipment, especially if you can’t let your child out by themselves. There are many exercises that don’t require any equipment. A jump rope is cheap and great for cardio and calorie burning. Aim for 4-5 hours of exercise weekly.
14. Learn your family medical history and risk factors.
15. Ensure your child gets adequate sleep - too little sleep can lead to changes in appetite regulation, type of food consumption, and increase the risk for obesity.
16. Seek medical attention for a child who snores or has sleep apnea.
17. Decrease red meat, processed meats, and saturated fats.
18. Have a varied diet to ensure adequate intake of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). Calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins A and D are required by the pancreas for insulin production.
19. Be mindful of weight gain during puberty, especially in girls. The puberty hormones naturally lead to an increase in weight and body fat as part of the growth spurt, but excessive weight gain often persists. This is monitored at your child’s annual checkups.
20. Start now and keep this list handy for ideas.
You decide what to buy and bring into your house. If junk food isn’t there, it can’t be consumed, at least not in your home. Start with small steps, making one change weekly, to allow everyone to transition.
Habits and palates CAN be changed!
We, the consumers, are the ones who will bring about change. It begins with education. We fight this by not putting money into the processed food industry’s pockets. Why should we support these companies that are ruining our children’s health?
If you think your child may be at risk for type 2 diabetes, please discuss this with your child’s doctor. Blood tests can screen for this. Being proactive is the first step. If your child has prediabetes, losing weight and having more physical activity can delay or prevent T2D.
As individuals and parents, we must do what we can within our families and environments to control what is possible. Hopefully, we will see communities and governments involved, but for now, the immediate changes will come from individuals.
Find more ways to improve nutrition and build a healthy diet in my book,
"Feed Your Child's Future Health,
Prevent Disease before it Starts"
Find it on Amazon.
Prevention. Is. Possible.
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