Obesity: A Childhood Epidemic

Learn the facts about this alarming trend, and find out how you can help your kids eat healthier and get moving.

• Parenting Teens
• Diabetes
• Healthy Habits
• Exercise
• Children's Health
• Parenting Kids

If you think you're seeing a lot more heavy kids than a couple of decades ago, it's not your imagination. In the U.S., at least one out of every five kids are overweight -- and that number continues to grow. The percentage of children who are overweight has almost doubled in the past 20 years, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those extra pounds put kids at risk for type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure, not to mention social and self-esteem problems.

Why Are Kids Getting Fatter?
Genetics are sometimes partially to blame for excess weight, but overeating and lack of physical activity are important factors. Too much television-watching appears largely to blame for the lack of physical activity among youngsters today. Consider the following statistics from a recent study published in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine:

Nearly half of U.S. children between the ages of 8 and 16 watch more than two hours of television a day.

The prevalence of obesity increased as hours of TV watching increased.

The number of calories consumed increased as TV watching did.

Only a little more than half of the children engaged in physical activity five or more days a week.

What Can Parents Do?
If your child is overweight, the first step is to acknowledge the problem and ask your child about his or her concerns. Most kids who are overweight are very aware of it, but they may not know what to do or where to turn. So talking to your child about the problem and promising that you will help him or her are important steps in achieving weight loss.

• Why Blood Sugar Matters
• It's no longer just certain people who need to worry about their blood sugar; it's pretty much everyone.
• 
• When Diabetes Strikes Your Child
• Tips for empowering your child to take care of their diabetes.
• 
• Caring for Diabetes at School
• Information for parents of children with diabetes.
• 
• Get Your Kids Moving
• Tips on how to encourage your kids to become more active.
• 
• Danger at the Petting Zoo
• 5 tips you must know to keep your family safe.
• 
• Kids and the Television
• Setting limits on time spent in front of the tube.
• 
• Shooting Down Diabetes Myths
• Get the facts about diabetes here.
• 
• Quiz: What's Your Diabetes IQ?
• 
• Childhood Nutrition: Food for the Growing Years
• Set guidelines for lifelong healthy eating, from toddlers to teens.
•