Dispelling the myths and learning some truths about childhood obesity

Myth: Obesity is a health crisis experienced only by adults.

Fact: Several studies have shown that obesity can develop in childhood and will likely continue into adulthood.

One recent study on childhood obesity, reported in The New England Journal of Medicine, questioned to what degree parental obesity affects the chances of a child becoming an obese adult. It was concluded that, while obese children under 3 years of age without obese parents are at low risk for adult obesity, for older children, regardless of parental obesity, being overweight is an increasingly important predictor for obesity in adulthood. The study found that, "After 6 years of age, the probability of obesity in adulthood exceeded 50 percent for obese children, as compared with about 10 percent for nonobese children."

Childhood obesity is quickly becoming a national health epidemic, and it seems to be getting worse. However, there is hope and help to get your family on the right track toward healthier weight maintenance and better overall health.

Reversing the pattern of obesity. In a recent interview with Better Nutrition, health writer Joseph C. Piscatella, author of the new book, Fat-Proof Your Child, shared some of his thoughts about childhood obesity and what parents can do to reverse the pattern of obesity in their own children's lives.

A real-life approach. By looking at general lifestyle trends, dictated in large part by a change in the structure of the family unit, busy schedules, and fast food habits, Piscatella takes a "this is life" approach to his suggestions, which come in the form of charts, helpful tips, and what he calls a "blueprint of simple things parents can do."

This real-life approach is particularly evident in the cookbook section, which was compiled and written by his wife, Bernie. In it, you are sure to find your family's favorite recipes (e.g., tuna casserole, meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, and dozens more), but with suggested substitutions to reduce the fat, salt, and other unnecessary and unhealthful ingredients.

Physical activity. In addition to the dietary modifications, Piscatella discusses the critical importance of incorporating physical activity into our lives. Piscatella said he was "less concerned with the weight of children than [he was] about the weight being a manifestation of a lifestyle that leads to other diseases. [...] The concern is less with fatness than it is with fitness." Piscatella supports the simple formula of increased physical activity plus a more healthful, low-fat diet as the best way to get your family's weight in the healthy range. Piscatella emphasizes that "on both the dietary side and the exercise side, the greatest influence on the health habits of children and teens are their parents."

An obesity explosion. A recent article in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association also focuses on the "obesity explosion" in America and what parents can do to reverse this trend. Author and child nutrition consultant, Connie Evers, M.S., R.D., promotes the role of parents in establishing an environment where children are given the opportunity to learn and make choices.

As Evers puts it, "By allowing children to make decisions about what and how much to eat, parents empower children to self-regulate their eating," which is likely to continue throughout their lives. She offers some steps parents can take toward promoting a healthy body weight in their children, including encouraging physical activity, limiting television and video time, offering "healthy" foods and snacks (such as fruit), and setting a good example.

Obesity brings on health problems -- now and later. Piscatella emphasizes the most grave concern associated with childhood obesity -- early onset of health risks and health problems, including high cholesterol, which leads to heart disease. He said that, this year, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute is forming a Children's Health Initiative to help raise parents' awareness that their children are at risk.

Study after study supports the fact that the risk of developing coronary artery disease (CAD) -- holding steady as the number-one killer of adults of all ages, races, and sexes -- begins early in life and is strongly influenced by a child's parent's heart health.

The findings of one continuing study on this subject, known as the Bogalusa Heart Study (because it's been carried out in Bogalusa, La., since 1973), were published in the December 3, 1997 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. These researchers found that the children of parents who had developed CAD early in life (average age for fathers being 50, and average age for mothers being 52) were consistently overweight beginning in early childhood, and their inherited risk factors (high levels of total serum cholesterol, plasma glucose, and insulin) had become significantly higher by adulthood.