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Childhood Obesity

Over the past 30 years, childhood obesity has tripled in our country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 16 percent of children ages 6 to 19 are considered overweight. Childhood obesity has tripled in the United States.

Being obese is often very difficult for children, both physically and emotionally. Children who are obese are not only at higher risk for medical problems, they often have low self esteem and isolate themselves from their peers.

Over the past 30 years, childhood obesity has tripled in our country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 16 percent of children ages 6 to 19 are considered overweight. Childhood obesity has tripled in the United States.

Being obese is often very difficult for children, both physically and emotionally. Children who are obese are not only at higher risk for medical problems, they often have low self esteem and isolate themselves from their peers.

Obesity becomes more than a food issue. It becomes a life issue. Lifestyle, emotions and family problems all play a role.

About childhood obesity

There is no generally accepted definition for obesity as distinct from overweight in children and adolescents. Overweight in children is defined by the sex- and age-specific 95th percentile cutoff points of the revised growth charts. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the prevalence of overweight children and adolescents was essentially stable from the 1960s to 1980. However, it almost doubled in the succeeding 20 years, and shows no sign of leveling off. As a result of this dramatic increase in the number of overweight American youths, serious medical conditions are beginning to be diagnosed in children that had formerly been found only in adults:
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There is currently a childhood obesity study being run at the University of Minnesota. It is a 6 month treatment study, where kids and their parents are randomly assigned to a parent and child or a parent only treatment. Both groups receive state of the art behavioral treatment for childhood obesity. Families are paid $50 at the end of treatment, and $100 6-months following treatment for completing the assessments. For more information, contact Mary at 612-624-9589.