Studies show that show that 1 in 5 American children ages 6 - 19 are obese by government or medical standards. There has been little research conducted though, that regards obesity in children and any long-term affect from that obesity. There are other more important things to consider when dealing with children, teens and their weight.
When we consider our kids and teens, it is better to concentrate on creating healthy lifestyles than to focus on and weight issues. It is much healthier to focus instead on providing them with a nurturing environment, physical activities that they enjoy and will participate in. Then we can help them to understand and make good food choices and also proper portion sizes. When they can make good food choices and understand how to select proper food portions they will over time retain proper and a more healthier body weight.
In order to make a difference in children and teens weight issues, it is imperative that we understand what motivates them to make the choices they do. Do their choices involve how they feel about themselves; in other words (self-esteem) or (self-image)?
When investigating any obesity prevention program in which to enroll your child or teen in, you should hold value in them as individuals. Whatever program you select for them to participate in, should include proper nutrition, exercise, and promote healthy lifestyle choices. Children are different and so their physical and emotional needs are different. Any program should respect these differences and be prepared to implement individuality in their program.
There are various factors that influence why a child or teen is overweight. Factors are eating attitudes, eating behaviors, physical activity level, and body image. When a child experiences problems with any of these factors, what can result is eating disorders, obesity, and hazardous weight loss. They can even experience nutritional deficiency that can lead to disease. Adults should understand that these factors can relate to each other and can have an impact on our kids and teens.
Possible Reasons Children Overeat:
Emotional eating. Facing the challenges of life like when their parents divorce or they lose a boyfriend or girlfriend. Sometimes kids feel that the only way they have any control over their lives, is in how and what they eat. Adults also can use food as a replacement for security, or emotional satisfaction. Kids and teens often model behavior after the adults in their lives. It is not surprising that children and teens try to find some sense out of a chaotic life by controlling the one thing that they feel they have some control over and that is their eating habits.
Boredom can lead to eating so they have something to do.
Frustration often turns to overeating in an effort to feel better.
Anger can trigger the need to put something in their mouth, just to have something to do, in response to whatever is angering them.
Family influence. Kids and teens can learn unhealthy eating habits from those they live with. Some families have a habit of serving desert after every meal. Kids eat what is available in their homes, so when the cupboards are filled with donuts, and snack bags, this is what they will eat. Often times parents serve adult-sized portions simply because that is how the food is sold, or because it is how the adults eat.
Kids may also eat when they have low self-esteem or low self-image.
Lack of time for meals in-between sporting events, after school activities and other family commitments means that the family rarely sits down around the table at mealtimes. Stopping at the local fast food restaurant is fast becoming a standard occurrence in the family mealtime. fast food, has been shown to be high in fat content and calories, thus it may be a contributing factor in the obesity problems faced by our kids and teen in America today.
Weight problems are both a symptom of self-esteem and a food issue. Adults should pay close attention to any drastic shift in weight that a child or teen experiences. Any child or teen that has lost or gained a noticeable amount of weight (clothes do not fit properly) should be brought to the attention of a physician for evaluation.
